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CHARLES D. FERGUSON. 
1853. . 




CHARLES D. FERGUSON. 
1887. 



THE 



Experiences of a Forty-niner 



DURING 



THIRTY-FOUR YEARS' RESIDENCE 



IN 



CALIFORNIA AND AUSTRALIA 



BY 

CHARLES D. FERGUSON 

/FEB 6 1888 7- ^ 

EDITED BY ^"--w- 

FREDERICK T. WALLACE 



CLEVELAND, OHIO: 

THE WILLIAMS PUBLISHING COMPANY 
1888 



^51 



2. 



Copyright, 1S8S, 

By Charles D. Ferguson. 

A]l Rights Reserved. 



INTRODUCTORY. 

IT is a suggestive if not a significant coincidence, that 
the Hebrew historian of creation assigned to man a 
primitive abode in the now unknown Eden, watered in 
part by the lost Pison, embracing within its area the 
"land of Havilah, where there is gold," and making as- 
surance doubly sure of the excellency of the mineral prod- 
ucts of that country' in the statement that "the gold of 
that land is good," besides abounding in bdellium and the 
onyx stone. 

Gold, as the most precious and most highly prized of 
minerals, wrought into articles of personal adornment, 
coronal emblems of royalty', or as a medium in the com- 
merce of nations, is prehistoric. The tombs of Egypt are 
now surrendering golden treasures and exquisite personal 
ornaments that once adorned the daughters of Pharaoh 
and the ladies of the Egyptian court, thousands of years 
before the golden calf was set up and worshiped in the 
valley before Sinai. The passion for the acquisition of 
gold is an inheritance from our remote ancestry of Havi- 
lah, surpassing in intensity the desire for any other min- 
eral known to man. Gold is a familiar word, pervading 
all written history, sacred and profane; employed alike 

lU 



IV INTRODUCTORY. 

by prophet, priest and king. And throughout sacred liter- 
ature gold is the emblem of purity, and refined gold the 
standard of comparison with faith, hope and love. 

When the author of Genesis wrote, the geographical 
locality of Havilah was doubtless well known to him and 
his readers, and was the source from which came the gold 
of prehistoric antiquity. Since the Havilah gold fields 
were worked, three great epochs of gold discovery have 
passed, each leaving its impress upon nations, states and 
social life. Like the course of empire, gold discoveries 
have been westward, until the circuit of the earth has been 
compassed. Neither in the Scriptures nor in the histories 
of the monarchies of the "^Euphrates, do we get but oc- 
casionally a faint glimpse of the industries of the people 
or the commercial character of the ancient nations ; but 
all relates to the wars of rival sovereigns and religious 
ceremonies, and but for the brief allusion to the building 
of ships at Ezion-geber, by Solomon, which made three 
years' voyages to the unknown Ophir and returned 
freighted with gold, sandal-wood and peacocks, one would 
suppose his splendid reign consisted mainl}' in building a 
temple and writing songs. Nevertheless, his reign was 
manifestly one of great commercial enterprise. He was 
the first truly historical discoverer of a new gold field. It 
resulted in vast wealth to his empire and a royal fame 
which has come down to us surpassing that of all other 
oriental monarchs, the glories of which astonished the 
queen of Sheba, past whose royal dominions his ships 
had sailed out of the Red sea into mysterious waters, and 
returned laden with the wealth of Ormuz and of Ind. Jeru- 



INTRODUCTORY. Y 

salem suddenly rose from an interior mountain village to 
a city of the first class, ranking with Tyre and Sidon and 
Damascus. With the gold of Ophir he built Tadmor in 
the wilderness, embellished the city, built the walls there- 
of, Millo, and a palace for his Egyptian wife, the daughter 
of Pharaoh. 

Such as remember the news by the ship from "around 
the Horn,"nowjust forty years ago, will not need to draw 
wholly upon their imagination for the effect produced by 
the return of the Ophir fleet, how Tyre and Sidon and the 
cities of Asia Minor, from Tarsus to Ephesus and Troy, 
were agitated by the news, how the lumbermen of Mount 
Lebanon and the artisans of Damascus were stricken with 
the Ophir fever, and \.xre carried away in the next fleet 
that sailed. 

Twenty-five hundred years later and two thousand miles 
further to the westward, in Spain^ when the western ocean 
had relaxed its chains and a vast continent had appeared 
with cities, states and empires unheard of before Colum- 
bus — of an antiquity coeval with Egypt — Pizarro sent 
home to his sovereign millions in gold — spoils of the 
plundered Temple of the Sun in the empire of the Inca of 
Peru. Then from the Pillars of Hercules to the Pyrenees, 
and from the Tagus to the Ebro, the gold fever raged to a 
degree then unprecedented in history, resulting in volun- 
tary emigration such as no other country ever experienced . 
the acquisition of a continent, and two hundred years of 
colonization, national prestige and sovereign grandeur. 
Finally the defeat of the Duke of Medina Sidonia and the 
destruction of the "invincible" Armada— loss of prestige 



YI INTRODUCTORY. 

and of provinces, culminating in national decay. For 
more than two hundred years Peruvian gold, transported 
in the galleons of Spain, furnished the incentive to piracy 
and freebooting, so long the terror of the seas. 

The passion for gold of the government of Spain and 
the higher ranks of its subjects was so intense as to event- 
uate in crimes and cruelties more terrible than ever before 
were perpetrated by civilized man upon a gentle and 
inoffensive people. Emigration from Spain to Mexico and 
Peru from 1492 for more than a hundred years, far sur- 
passed that of England for the colonization of North 
America from 1607 for an equal length of time — the one 
inspired by gold, the other by liberty of conscience and the 
spirit of freedom. 

But it was reserved to the middle of the nineteenth cen- 
tury to record the most wonderful discoveries of gold in 
the history of the human race. With California and 
Australia so recent and familiar to all, the record of dis- 
cover}^ would seem to be forever closed. These two simul- 
taneousevents not only deeply affected thecommerclal and 
social institutions of America and Europe, but brought 
into existence great states and an ocean empire whose 
places on the map of the world theretofore had been desig- 
nated only as territory unexplored. 

It is yet within the memory of the middle-aged how in- 
tensely the country was agitated, when, in 1848, the news 
came of the discovery of gold in California. Not even the 
late civil war occupied the public mind more than did the 
golden regions of the Pacific coast for several years. Emi- 
gration thereto instantly set in, each individual inspired by 



INTRODUCTORY. VII 

hopes of acquisition of a portion of the rich deposits^ 
which for multitude was beyond comprehension and 
almost beyond bcHef It is doubtful if there was a city, 
villasfe or rural town in the United States that was 
unrepresented in California or Australia during the first 
five years of the golden age of those countries. 

Of the vast multitude who sought those lands hun- 
dreds and probably thousands never reached them, but 
whose unknown graves dot the plains, whose bones lie 
scattered upon the deserts, or rest among the coral reef» 
of the Pacific ocean. The spirit of adventure pervaded 
old and young alike, and the gray-haired man and the 
beardless boy were partners and companions in that most 
hazardous enterprise of the age. 

In this volume is sought to be recorded something of 
the personal experiences during a third of a century of one 
among the thousands of Ohio boys who were "out in the 
forty-nine." The pleasant town of Aurora was his home. 
He has related in the following narrative his youth- 
ful aspirations and the circumstances attending his 
departure. The editor assumes the responsibility of 
an allusion to him personally, and to his ancestry very 
briefly, that the reader of his narrative may be confirmed 
in the truth of the saying that "blood will tell." In the 
battle of Culloden, where "Proud Cumberland prances, 
insulting the slain," his Scotch great-grandfather fell. 
The son of the ancient hero, John Ferguson, at the age 
of sixteen years became a voluntary exile in France, and 
came to America with Lafayette, served through the 
Revolution, was captain of a company, and at the close 



Tm INTRODUCTORY. 

of the war settled in Blandford, Massachusetts. His son, 
Samuel H. Ferguson, at the age of twenty came to Ohio 
and settled in Aurora, where he married Julia Forward, 
daughter of Judge Forward who settled there in 1803, 
and sister of Honorable Walter Forward, secretary 
of the treasurj'- of the United States, in the cabinet 
of President Harrison. She dying, he subsequently 
married Anna AlcKinney, a widowed lady, whose mother 
was Anna Holly of Litchfield, Connecticut, and sister of 
Honorable John Mattocks, one of the early senators of the 
United States, for that state. Mr. Charles D. Ferguson, 
Avhose experiences are related in this volume, is the son 
of Samuel H. Ferguson by his second marriage. He is 
still, at the age of fifty-five years, a gentleman of restless 
activity, energy of character and high spirit, and the reader 
will notfail to discoverin the following pages something of 
his mental capacity, Scottish prudence and intelligent 
foresight, blended with and supplemented by the bravery 
and gallant bearing of a Roderick Dhu. 

In the preparation of the pages of this book the editor 
has had the benefit of very ample notes, recently made 
by the narrator from memory, he never having kept a 
written diary, and of many personal interviews. In yield- 
ing to the importunities of many to put a few of his 
experiences into readable form, he has constantly insisted 
that no exaggerations shall be indulged in, and nothing 
stated but the simple truth. 

As all or nearly all of the events and incidents relate 
to matters personal to himself or within his own ob- 
servation, the editor has deemed it but natural and proper 



INTRODUCTORY. IX 

that the narrative should take the form of the first person. 
And now without apology, excuse or further explanation 
the reader is respectfully referred to the narrative of one 
whose experiences for a third of a century have been, to 
say the least, remarkable, if not unprecedented, in indi- 
vidual history since Marco Polo, at the age of seventeen, 
left his palatial home in Venice, traversed the continent of 
Asia, passed over the Himalaya mountains and crossed the 
desert of Gobi, to the court and empire of Kublai Khan, 
now just six hundred years ago. 

F. T. Wallace. 
Cleveland, January, 1888. 



CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

Chapter 1 9 

Gold Excitement, 1848 — Inspiration and Plans — Consent of Parents 
— Disappointment — Renewed Hope — Visit to Illinois — Embarking 
at Cleveland for Chicago — Incidents of the Voyage — Winter at 
Ottawa — A Relapse of the Gold Fever— An Ottawa Company — 
Journe3' to St. Louis — Negro Melody — Purchases and Passage to 
St. Joseph. 



Chapter II 17 

Steamer Orient — Passengers a Hard Lot — Thief Knocked Over- 
board — Complimented by the Captain — Independence and St. 
Joseph — Old Fort Kearne\' — First Camp — Drowned Out — Cross- 
ing the Missouri — Salt Creek, now Lincoln, Nebraska — A Santa 
Fe Post Rider — Party of Pawnees — Deer Shooting — A Man with 
a Wheelbarrow. 



Chapter III 35 

Junction North and South Platte — Snow-Storm — Distress and Suffer- 
ing — Crossing the South Platte — Ogalalla — Impressions of the 
Country — North Platte Crossing — Buffalo Herds — Game — Sioux 
— Trading — Ft. Laramie — Shooting Wagons — Crows— Stealing, a 
Business Transaction — Pancake Snatching — The Frying-Pan 
Knock Down. 



Xn CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

Chapter IY 47 

Black Hills — Antelope and Elk — Canadian Fur Trappers — Court- 
House Rock — Chimney Rock — Hostile Crows — Strange Manoeu- 
vers— Our Scotchman's Sudden Sickness— An Indian Prisoner of 
War— His Surrender Negotiated— The Pipe of Peace— George, the 
"Squaw"— Trading— Empty Jug Discovered — Whiskey Legal 
Tender — Independence Rock. 



Chapter V 56 

South Pass— The Summit— Dividing of the Waters— Subblet's Cut-off 
— General Rejoicing — Green River Crossing — The Shoshones — Wo- 
man's Burdens — No Chivalry' — Hot Springs — Steamboat Valley — 
Game Scarce— Fort Bridger— Old Jim and His Squavi'— Black 
River Crossing — Echo Cation — Salt Lake in the Distance. 



Chapter VI 67 

Salt Lake City — Hospitality— Mormon Women— Anxiety for News — 
Needles and Thread— Brigham Young— Sunday at the Temple— A 
Race with a Shower— Laughing Ladies— Distance Deceptive- 
Comforting Assurances— Indians all Baptized — Ogden Park— Sud- 
den Death— Bear River— The Valley— Then and Now. 



Chapter VII 77 

Fort Hall— Soda Springs— Another Party— Disagreement— Humbolt 
River— The Sink— The Lake— The Desert— Suffering— Alkali Water 
—Digger Indians— Surprised— The Killed— A Death Avenged— Our 
Loss— Starvation— Boiled Badger— Exhaustion— Mental Weak- 
ness—Childish Petulance. 



CONTENTS. Xin 

PAGE 

Chapter VIII 94, 

Another Comrade Killed — Eleven Dead Indians — Provisions Gone — 
Shall a Horse be Killed — Wagon Trail Discovered — Hope Revived 
—Great Rejoicing— Oregon Party— Rescued— The Women— Mush 
and Milk— Price of Provisions — Yankee Doodle Beef— Cutting Out 
the Arrow— Indian Camp Surprised— The Captain's Hopeful Son 
— Pulling the Captain's Tooth — The Quack Doctor. 



Chapter IX 113 

A Prospecting Party— Generosity — Lessen 's Ranch — Parting with the 
Oregonians— Near the Gold Fields— Sensations— Dinner in Camp 
—First Day's Digging— Mountain Fever— Mining Operations- 
Grizzly Bear — Lurking Indians — Finding Ohio Boys — Marysville 
— Yuba City — High Prices. 



Chapter X 139 

Nevada City— Wood's Ravine— Ohio Boys— Miners' Generosity- 
Gamblers and Gambling— Judge Lynch's Court — Ohio Party Res- 
cued—Rough and Ready— Mrs. Phelps and Her Pies— First Wo- 
man in Nevada City — Church Bazaar Post-Office — The Scales 

First Newspaper — Deference to Woman. 



Chapter XI I55 

Mining Associations— A Claim— Rifle Bounded— Kiote Diggings— Hir- 
ing Out— " Galena "—Senator Stewart— Painful Sickness— Poor 
Man's Creek— Borrowing a Mule— Another Grizzly— Perry's 
Death— Ingratitude— Jumping a Claim— First Mining Suit— Evic- 
tion— The Evictor Evicted— Luck— A Miner's Superstition. 



XIY CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

Chapter XII 170 

Gold Run — Shaft Sinking — Timbering — Wash Dirt — The Enterprise 
Company — Kiote Hills Tunneling — Grass Valley — A Midnight Cry 
— Quartz Mining — Mortar and Pestle — First Stamp Mills — Mark 
Twain's Experience— Job's Patience— Mrs. Coates — Teaming to 
Sacramento — Lost and Found — No Thanks — Where's My Coat? — 
Chief Cook — Nevada in Flames — Doctors' Duel — Crimes and Pun- 
ishments — Dueling — Bull-fighting — Women and Improved Society 
— Indian Dances and Funeral Fashions. 



Chapter XIII 19S 

Improved Methods — The Cradle — Quicksilver — Long Tom— Sluice 
Boxes — H3'draulic Washing — News from Australia — Resolved to 
Go There— Settling Up— Carried off by the Gold Fever— Sacra- 
mento — San Francisco — Ship Don Juan — Steamer Wintiekl Scott 
Arrives — Practical Jokes — Careless Shooting — Spurs and Shirt 
Collar — On Deck of the Don Juan — Adieu to San Francisco. 



Chapter XIV 21S 

Pass the Golden Gate— Bound for Australia— Seasickness— Pumping 
— Passengers— Society Islands — Deficiency of Supplies— Becalmed 
— Crossing the Line — Neptune's Reception — Tahiti Experiences and 
Sports — The Calaboose — Quack Doctor — A Duel — Heir to a Duke- 
dom — Brother of an Earl. 



Chapter XV 23Q 

Leave Tahiti— Reduced to Beans— Prospect of Casting Lots— Job's 
Comforter — Insanity from Hunger— Norfolk Island— Captain 
Price— Soldiers— Prisons— Punishments— The Clergyman— Hang- 
ing Persons " Comfortably "—Pigs and Poultry— Sydney, Aus- 
ralia — Arrive at Melbourne. 



CONTENTS. XY 

PAGE 

Chapter XVI 240 

Impressions of Melbourne — Getting Out— Keller's Bed-bug Hotel — 
Black Forest — Bush-rangers — Diggers — Sticking Up — Harper's 
Hotel — Porcupine Hotel — Bendigo Diggings — Fii-st License — 
Americans— Sheep's Head— Ovens River — Marching in a Robber. 



Chapter XVII 251 

A New Rush — Carrying Sv(rag — Mackiver Diggings — Government 
Escort Robbed — Arrested and Searched — Our Landlord's Endorse- 
ment — Discharged — Blowhards — Shooting for a Wager — Mrs. 
Scott's Fourth of July Dinner — Police Interfere — Captain Wilson — 
The Quack Doctor of the Don Juan— ''016. Pills" — Loveland's 
Noble Generosity. 



Chapter XVIII 258 

Woolshed Creek Diggings — Health Failed — Expensive Traveling — 
Bread and Milk — Melbourne Again — American Circus — Minstrel 
Company — Ocean Steamers — Loveland Departs — Loneliness and 
Regi-et — Mr. Walter — The Great Nugget — Restaurant Business — 
Mrs. Hanmer and the Adelphi — Horsewhips Her Partner — Mr. 
Wooden. 



Chapter XIX 275 

The Ballarat Rebellion — Its Causes — Petitions to Government — 
Police — Troops — Miners Prepare for War — Peter Lalor — Amer- 
icans Protest — California Rangers — The Battle — Miners Taken 
Prisoners — Surrender to the Police — Imprisonment. 



XYI CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

Chapter XX 288 

In Jail— Ragged and Bloody— The Only American Prisoner of War- 
Friends— An Editor in Limbo— Wooden and Nichols Arrive — 
Charge of High Treason — Preparation for Trial — Trial and Ac- 
quittal—Rejoicing of Friends— Jealousy — Partiality Towards the 
Young American — United States Consul— Interview with the 
Governor — Peace Restored — Diggings Resumed. 



Chapter XXI 302 

Wadagalac Diggings — A Store — Success — A Gold Broker — Robbery 
arrd Murder of Murphy — Punishment — The Black Guide — Thick 
Skull— Dealing with Tramps— Return to Ballarat— A Struggle 
with Robbers— The Ballarat Bank— The Famous Bank Robbery 
— A Woman in the Affair. 



Chapter XXII 318 

Alma Diggings — Ovens Creek — Newspapers — Wealth and Extrava- 
gance — "A Hatter" — First Engine on the Woolshed — Court of 
Mines— Devil's Elbow— Hard Work— Great Results— Nine-pins — 
Fourth of July— News of the Rebellion in United States— Sadness 
and Silence — Friendships Among Strangers — George Francis 
Train— American Ball— My Partner — Mrs. Mason — The Star of 
the Evening — The Milliner's Bill. 



Chapter XXIII 334 

Ballarat— United States Hotel Burned — Death of Nichols — Still on 
the Woolshed — Tom Departs — Gunston Again — Scarcity of Beef 
— After Cattle — Incidents of the Trip — A Woman "Stuck Up" — 
Robbers in Jail — Squatter Stations — "Sweat Out" — "Fly- 
Blown" — "Old Hands" — A Race with Robbers — Successful Trip 
—Profits Satisfactory. 



CONTENTS. XVn 

PAGE 

Chapter XXIV 345 

Sick Again— Giinston Goes Another Trip — Incident — Leave Wool- 
shed for Melbourne — Delirious— M\' Nurse — The Washerwoman 
— Recovery — First Staging — Concord Coaches— Cobb & Com- 
pany—Forbes & Company— Davis & Cooper— Enter Davis & 
Company's Service— Impounding Horses— The Rescue— The Out- 
come — Watson & Hewitt— Excitement of Coaching. 



Chapter XXV 362 

Rarry's Exploits— Horse-Taming— Furor in the Colonies— Observa- 
tions in Boyhood— The Secret No Secret— Could Do the Same- 
Tried and Succeeded— Horsemen Astonished— Public Exhibition- 
Handsome Receipts — Exhibit in the Principal Cities— Jerry 
Luther and the Ladies— Benefit for the Schools— The Lunch— 
The Wild Horse and his Fair Rider. 



Chapter XXVI 377 

Gipps' Land— A Gold Rush— Dealing with His Uncle— Cattle Duffing 
—Unexpected Offer— Royal Society — Exploring Expedition — 
Hasten to Melbourne— Appointed Foreman of the Expedition- 
Fitting Out— The Start— Reviewed by the Governor— Curiosity 
of the People— Camels a Novelty— Grooming a Camel— Cooper's 
Creek— Resignation and Return— Fate of the Expedition— Star- 
vation and Death. 



Chapter XXVII 39g 

After Ten Years— Invests in Quartz— A Failure— Rush to New Zea- 
land—Gets a City Contract— Coach Driving— Fox's Diggings- 
Lumbering on Waktepac Lake— Lord Trotter and His Sheep)— 
The Mutton Story— The Raffle for the Boat. 



XYin CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

Chapter XXVm 414 

Butchering in New Zealand— The Natives— Cannibal Memories— Re- 
turning to Melbourne — Sickness — Sons of Freedom Companj-^ — 
Colonies Described — Botany Bay Convicts — Tasmania — Capture 
of Buckley — Birds and Animals — Natives — The Boomerang — 
Lost Children— Trackers — Rabbits— Churches — Education — Par- 
liament—Products and Commerce. 



Chapter XXIX 444 

Mental Panorama— Memories of Eminent Persons— Statesmen- 
Sportsmen— Stock Breeders— Cattle Kings — Millionaires — The 
Claimant— Fleet Horses— Crimes and Criminals— Kelley Brothers' 
Gang — Victoria Prison. 



Chapter XXX 464 

Gipps' Land— Pioneers— Stations— Great Estates— Horse Aristocracy- 
Stringy Bark— House Building— Gum and Cherry Trees— Bountiful 
Crops— Answ^ering an Advertisement— Tongia— In the Mountains- 
Murder of Green — Omeo — Discovery— Chinese— Spanish — Dutch- 
Captain Cook— First Colony— Lost and Found— First Newspaper- 
Governors— Law System and Courts— Population Then and Now. 



Chapter XXXI 484 

The Return — Correspondence — Resolve — Adieus — Sydney — The Zea- 
landria — Sadness — Passengers — Auckland — Honolulu — Diver- 
sions and Entertainments — Fourth of July — San Francisco — 
Changes — Reflections — The Railway — Familiar Scenery — Hum- 
bolt Sink — Ogden — Cleveland — Visiting— Loveland — See — Alone 
in his Native Country — "Over the Range." 



THE GOLD FEVER. 



CHAPTER I. 

Gold Excitement, 1848 — Inspiration and Plans — Consent of 
Parents — Disappointment — Renewed Hope — Visit to Illinois — 
Embarking at Cleveland for Chicago — Incidents of the 
Voyage — Winter at Ottawa — A Relapse of the Gold Fever — 
An Ottawa Company— Journey to St. Louis— Negro Melody- 
Purchases AND Passage to St. Joseph. 

AMONG the many thousands who, in 1848, were ex- 
cited to the verge of lunacy on the arrival of the 
news from "around the Horn," announcing the discovery 
of gold by Marshall, at Sutter's mill, on American river, 
California, the relater of the events and experiences re- 
corded in this book was one. Visions of gold excited 
my brain. It was not the gold alone, but an awak- 
ening of a strong desire of adventure which had per- 
vaded my spirit from a small school-boy taking my finst 
lesson in geography. Foreign countries marked upon the 
pages of the little school atlas were fascinating, and many 
were the pictures I drew in my youthful imagination of 
some future time when, by travel, I should know more of 
the world. How I did envy Captain Cook and Robinson 
Crusoe, the latter especially. I remember one day resting 
with my brother under the shade of a tree near our old 
Ohio homestead when a sedate gentleman rode by on 



10 THE FEVER CATCHING. 

horseback. " Do you know that man ?" said my brother. 
I said no. " That is Judge Eben Newton, "said my brother, 
*' and he is what I will be some day. What will you be?'^ 
asked my brother. "I will be a traveler, "said I, "and seethe 
world." It is a strange coincidence that the two lads under 
the shade tree reached, respectively, the height of his boy- 
ish ambition — I to my heart's content. 

There were numerous other boys in our neighborhood 
who had the gold fever, caught, doubtless, in some instances, 
from me, for it was surely "catching." Many were the 
evenings we got together and laid our plans. There was 
not a newspaper that had an item about gold that was 
not learned by heart, and great pains taken to enlarge 
and embellish the accounts to our parents. When I suc- 
ceeded in getting my dear old father's and mother's con- 
sent to let me go, I was the proudest boy in Ohio. Pictures 
of untold wealth nearly drove me wild. This, however, 
was but for a short period, for, as the time drew near for 
m\^ departure, my parents suddenly changed their minds. 
I was too 3'oung, they said, to go out into the world of 
temptations, and especially among the Indians. My heart 
sank ten degrees below zero, but it was of no use; the old 
people had settled it, and go I should not. But to concili- 
ate m}^ wounded spirit and recompense me for my disap- 
pointment, they agreed that I might go and visit Doctor 
George W. McKinney, a half-brother, living at Ottawa, 
Illinois. I grasped the situation. Now was my chance, 
and I was determined not to throw it away. I appeared 
to be satisfied with the arrangement and soon left home, 
little thinking that thirty-four years would pass away 



A mother's last words. 11 

before I should return, and then to find that other hands 
than mine had to assist in laying my aged and gray-haired 
parents in their quiet rural graves, and that, too, many 
long years before their seemingly thoughtless but not un- 
feeling son returned. O, how many sleepless nights, how 
many anxious hours they have waited and waited for my 
return! My dear old mother's dying words were : "Tell 
Charles I have waited and waited until I can wait no 
longer, and only hope to meet him in Heaven." Heaven 
rest her soul. May her joys surpass the sorrows I caused 
her here upon earth. 

It was in the month of September, 1849, when, at the 
age of seventeen years, I bade good-by to father, mother 
and friends, and repaired to Cleveland where I embarked 
on the lake steamer A. D. Patchen for Chicago. It was 
late in the season, the weather generally rough, and my 
trip was not an exception, unless it was unusually rough, 
which I think it was, since I have experienced many severe 
storms on the ocean hardly more severe. Had I been on 
shore, and safe at home, I would have been content to re- 
main there and let gold -seeking go to David Jones' locker. 
But that feeling soon vanished after arriving at Chicago. 
It was, however, not the Chicago of to-day, for I think the 
population did not exceed seventeen thousand. Among 
the incidents of this lake voyage was one on Lake Huron. 
There were many clergymen passengers on board who 
were on their return from a conference at Buffalo. In the 
midst of the storm Captain Whitaker passed through the 
saloon in a great hurry, when the ministers accosted him 
to know if there was any danger ? " Danger I Yes, we will 



12 ON THE LAKES. 

all be in h — 1 together in less than ten minutes !" The min- 
isters united in both audible and silent prayer till the 
storm abated. A passenger came aboard at some port 
near the head of Lake Michigan. He had been left by 
some other boat the day before. He was intoxicated, and 
after supper walked out on the hurricane deck and fell 
overboard. The engine was stopped and boats lowered, 
but to no purpose; the poor fellow had sunk to rise no 
more, unless at the final resurrection. His wife came 
aboard at Chicago to look for him. But, alas, no husband 
was there, and the only memento she obtained was his 
hat. Thus ended my first voyage on the inland seas. 

From Chicago to Ottawa, eighty miles by canal, took 
twenty-four hours, which is now accomplished by rail in 
less than three. At Ottawa I found the gold excitement as 
intense, if not more so, than in Ohio ; so there was no hope 
for my recovery from the fever, since I had already relapsed 
from the first attack, and doctors say a relapse is more 
liable to be fatal than the first attack. I found it so in 
my case. There is no disease or desire on earth so con- 
tagious as the gold fever. There is no asylum for the pa- 
tient and no physician who can minister to a mind thus 
diseased. 

My mind was made up to go to California and nothing 
but death could stop me. But how to get away was the 
only thing that troubled me. I had spent my money rather 
freely among my brother's friends, to whom in a short 
time I had become quite warmly attached, and who in 
compliment to my cheerful intercourse with them, unani- 
mously voted me a "chip of the old block," however that 



THE QUESTION SETTLED. 13 

may be interpreted. Most of them are dead now (1887). 
A few remain in Ottawa. Arthur Lockwood is still there. 
William Earle now lives at La Salle, Colorado, I believe, 
though I have not seen him since my return to this country. 
Doctor Thomas, another of my early Ottawa friends, lives 
in Samanock, La Salle county, Illinois, and whom I recently 
had the pleasure of visiting. Others, if they still live, are 
scattered and distributed among the great states of the 
west, and whom I shall never probably meet again on 
earth. 

How to approach my brother on the subject of going to 
California was a perplexing matter to me. Soon, however, 
a favorable moment came. Winter had nearly gone, and 
spring was approaching with all its suggestiveness of 
activity and labor. One day my brother asked me what I 
intended to do. My courage failed me when put to the 
test. I answered, of course, that I did not know. Hemade 
me several offers, and suggested several fields of enterprise 
which almost any young man, in less excitable times, 
would have deemed advantageous and fortunate, but all 
of which I declined. My apparent indiiference to his every 
suo^o^estion doubtless seemed to him to indicate either stu- 
pidity or ingratitude, and he was justly provoked when he 
passionately said: "Whatinh — 1 do you want to do? " My 
brother's indignation inspired me with boldness. This was 
my opportunity, and I improved it by saying in the most 
frank and respectful manner possible, that 1 wanted to go 
to California. He made no reply, but called his wife and 
said to her: "This young man wants to go to California," 
and without waiting for her even to express her astonish- 



14 THE "ocean wave." 

ment, he told her to pack my things and let me go. She 
pleaded with me for my mother's sake, but to no purpose. 
I was going now, and no mistake. 

There were three others of Ottawa friends of Doctor 
Thomas and pleasant acquaintances of mine, who w^ere 
making arrangements to go, and I entered into an agree- 
ment to join them. All things being ready, and consider- 
ing delays dangerous, we were anxious to be off at once. 
So on the fourteenth of March, 1850, we left Ottawa for 
Peru, where we were to take steamer for St. Louis. We 
found a steamer about ready to rundown the Illinois river. 
The captain of the Ocean Wave, for such was its imposing 
name, remembered, doubtless, by many even unto this day, 
agreed to take ourselves, four in number, four horses and 
a wagon to St. Louis, for the modest sum of twenty-four 
dollars. The only stop we made on our trip down the 
river of any considerable length of time was at Peoria, and 
I shall ever remember this place for the pleasant impressions 
itmade upon my mind. Even at this early day it was quite 
imposing — a magnificent place. I had never seen then, nor 
have I since, a place where nature had been so lavish in her 
endowments to make a beautiful city. I have thought of 
it and spoken of it many times in foreign lands, as the 
loveliest little town I ever saw. We arrived in St. Louis 
on the eighteenth of March, where the Ocean Wave was 
made fast in her place and we disembarked. Here I was 
impressed with the vast number of steamers along the 
levee. It seemed to me they numbered thousands. For 
miles along the levee they lay three and four deep. The 
sugar and cotton steamers belonging to the lower Missis- 



FITTING OUT FOR THE JOURNEY. 15 

sippi were readily distinguished from those of the upper 
Mississippi. The hands on board the former were all 
negroes. When night came they would all assemble around 
the capstan, and one would lead off in a song, the others 
w^ould join in, the next boat's crew would take it up, and 
so on until the whole was one grand concert from one end 
of the levee to the other. Since then I have listened to 
fashionable operas, and heard renowned prima-donnas, 
but never have I heard the human voice utter such sweet- 
ness and melody as then and there came from the lips of 
the dusky boatmen of the Mississippi. 

We placed our horses in a livery on Third street and 
took up our quarters at a hotel on the same street, the 
name of which I have forgotten. I only remember it was 
the best hotel then in St. Louis. I always have had a 
weakness that way when traveling to patronize the best, 
which I have always found cheapest in the end. Besides, 
if one puts up at a respectable house, he has the advan- 
tage of better associations, and many times, especially if 
he is a stranger, it may possibly lead him in the way of 
business, if, perchance, he maybe a second Mica wber, wait- 
ing for something to turn up. Our first necessity incident 
to the great, laborious and hazardous enterprise of trav- 
ersing the almost unknown interior of the continent, its 
vast plains, great rivers, and dangerous and doubtful 
passes, and terrific canons of the Rocky mountains, w^as 
to purchase a stock of provisions. This consisted chiefly 
of bacon, flour, hardtack, tea, coffee and sugar. Two 
quarts of No. 6 extract of cayenne pepper w^as deemed 
a necessity, as was also a gallon of the best brandy pro- 



16 PASSAGE TO ST. JOSEPH. 

curable. Each purchased a Colt's revolver with ample 
accompaniments for the special benefit of the Indians, and 
which we afterwards and on many occasions, found to be 
a very potent and influential Indian persuader. 

Our next business was to look for a steamer bound for 
St. Joseph, some three hundred miles up the Missouri river. 
This was not a very difficult task, as there were many 
along the upper levee all ready to start, and each one 
offered the best advantages, and each was represented to 
arrive there in the shortest possible time. I may here 
remark that these river steamers had each its own par- 
ticular route and river w^aters. Those which ply on the 
Illinois river do not run on the Mississippi, onl}' to St. 
Louis, and the Missouri steamers come down only to the 
same cit}^ and the great cotton and sugar transports and 
passenger boats of the lower Mississippi do not ply above 
the same point. It was somewhat difficult to decide upon 
a boat among so many and all holding out pleasant in- 
ducements, but we finally made our selection and paid our 
passage — six dollars each — w^hich also covered the trans- 
portation of our horses, wagon, provisions and provender. 
It was the best and cheapest contract we could make, as 
we thought then, but the sequel failed to confirm our 
opinion. 



ON THE "ORIENT." 17 



CHAPTER II. 

Steamer "Orient"— Passengers a Hard Lot— Thief Knocked Over- 
board—Complimented BY THE Captain — Independence and St. 
Joseph— Old Fort Kearney— First Camp— Drowned Out— Cross- 
ing the Missouri — Salt Creek, Now Lincoln, Nebraska — A 
Santa Fe Post Rider — Party of Pawnees — Deer Shooting — A 
Man wiTEi A Wheelbarrow. 

E were now treading the deck of the Orient. The 
charm of the name seemed to surpass that of the 
Ocean Wave, but when we got fairly under way, and even 
before we entered upon the long stretch of the Missouri, 
and took a survey of our numerous companions of the 
voyage, the romance and poetry suggested by the names 
of western river steamers vanished. I have traveled some 
since, but never have I fell in with such a congregation of 
self-conceited, ignorant, disagreeable and annoying lot of 
passengers as crowded the Orient. I do not believe another 
such lot ever got together. Others have related to me 
similar experiences, but not a single instance could hold a 
candle to this experience of my own. 

I have always observed, when thrown among people 
that were ignorant, rough and mean, that they were jeal- 
ous of those whom they considered better informed and 
better behaved and who were, in fact, their superiors. Such 



18 thip:f knocked overboard. 

will form cliques among themselves for the purpose of in- 
sulting or annoying 3'ou. It is on their part an uncon- 
scious acknowledgment of yoursuperiority. Such was the 
class of passengers we had on board the steamer Orient. 
To begin with, they were the worst set of petty thieves I 
ever knew. They very early set to work to rob our four 
Canadian ponies of their feed. Our bales of hay dimin- 
ished rapidly and the mangers were robbed. . At last I 
caught one of them taking the hay from the ponies. I 
remonstrated with him, but he only laughed and made fun 
of me. The others gathered around and jeered and 
laughed, told me to go home to my mother. I was told 
by one to hold my tongue, or he would throw me over- 
board. Mv young blood was a little stirred at such a 
threat, and I challenged him to try it, and sure enough he 
collared me. He did not think of throwing me over, but 
only to frighten me, expecting I would beg off, when they 
would have the laugh on me. But he misjudged the Ohio 
boy. We clinched, and struggling out by the aft gang- 
way, near the wheel, it being a side-wheeler, I gave a sud- 
den turn and loosed myself from him, and at the same 
moment planted my fist full and fairly in his face with such 
cnergv as my then unpracticed fighting muscle admitted 
of. and he fell back and overboard. I confess I felt a little 
frigfhtened, but the water was not more than three feet 
deep, and when I saw him standing on his feet in the mid- 
dle of the river, my equanimity was fully restored. The 
boat stopped, a skiff was lowered, and the man was soon 
picked up and brought aboard. His nose was bleeding and 
he was crestfallen. Knowing that such a class of men are 



20 A LITTLE SWAGGER. 

invariably cowards, and that even a little swagger will 
command their respect, I therefore notified his friends who 
wished to take a bath to avail themselves of my services, 
then and there — adding that it was no unusual thing for 
me to throw a man or two overboard every morning, to 
give myself an appetite for breakfast. When the captain 
learned how matters stood, he told them if any more of 
them v/ere caught stealing and got thrown overboard, he 
would not stop to pick them up. After this oration from the 
captain, he, turning to me, said: "Come on, youngster, 
with me and take a drink." I did not taste strong drink 
in those days, but I thanked the captain and respectfully 
declined his proffered civility. All this, however, had its 
influence. The ponies were no more robbed of their prov- 
ender, and, as for my partners and myself, we w^ere treated 
with civility during the remainder of the trip. It is a 
lamentably strange peculiarity of mind of this class of peo- 
ple that they will respect you only when they fear you. 
Trust them and deal gently and kindly with them, as one 
man should with another, and in return they will insult 
you, annoy you, and plunder you. 

Our progress was rather slow, as the current of the 
Missouri changes almost daily, and it is impossible for a 
pilot to know the current from one day to another, and 
hence we were obliged to tie up every night. Our first 
stopping place for the discharge of passengers was at In- 
dependence, where the worst of the lot were let oft, much 
to our comfort and relief. On our arrival at St. Joseph, 
we bade farewell to the Orient and the remainder of its 
uncompanionable emigrants. We were much disappointed 



ST. TOSEPH. 21 

at the appearance of this then famous town. It was 
talked about ahnost as much as St. Louis, both before and 
after we were on our wa^^ to it. Our ideas of its size and 
importance had been greatly exaggerated, but no one 
could tell us anything definite about it more than I could 
tell them, which was just nothing at all. It was, however, 
important in the sense of being the last frontier town on 
the east bank of the Missouri, in the northwest corner of 
the state. Old Fort Kearney, about one hundred miles up 
the river, and on its west bank, was the only name then 
known on the map. All the great interior passed under 
the general name of Nebraska. The great states and ter- 
ritories now familiar to us, carved from that vast region 
between the upper Missouri and the Rocky mountains, 
was but the home of the red man and the range of the 
buffalo. Most of the houses of St. Joseph were but little 
temporary huts. There were a verj^ few passabl}- good 
buildings. The population would not exceed seven hun- 
dred. There had been man}^ arrivals before us, and all 
were waiting for the grass to grow before launching out 
upon the plains. Man}' did not attempt the jom-ney until 
the first of May. 

Our horses having been on board the Orient for several 
days, were as pleased as ourselves at once more getting on 
land, and were not long in showing it, for one of them, bv 
some carelessness, got awa\' and started out on his own 
account to take in the town. The other three seeing him 
enjoying such unwonted freedom, became suddenly in- 
spired with the spirit of liberty and broke loose. St. Jo, 
as the place is always called, for short, suddenly advanced 



THE PONIES CELEBRATE. 23 

from a one-horse town to a four-horse city. The four Cana- 
dian ponies created more excitement than the town had ever 
before been wrought up to. Every man, woman and child 
were out to lend a hand in catching them, but all to no 
purpose; the ponies v^ere going to have their time out — and 
they did. When they were through, all four deliberatel}^ 
walked into the nearest livery-stable and took their places 
in vacant stalls. 1 have often since thought it would be a 
good way to advertise horses, for the dealer to turn his 
whole stock loose in town and let them show themselves* 
for certainly no frontier town ever saw a grander sight 
than those four Canucks, with flowing manes, arched necks 
and expanded nostrils, taking in the sights and enjoying 
the freedom of the infant city of St. Jo. We had half the 
town at the stables to see the ponies. The offers made for 
them were without number. One hundred dollars apiece, 
and even much higher. It would have been a good stroke 
of business if we had sold and gone back to Detroit and 
bought more, as they cost only forty dollars a head there, 
and fifteen to land them in St. Jo. 

After getting what information we could respecting 
routes and river crossings, and making a few purchases, 
we concluded to pull out, and the next day started up the 
river on the east side, for Council Bluffs, about one hundred 
and fifty miles distant. Our reasons for taking this more 
northern route instead of going directly west, was that 
there were some settlements on that side of the river, and 
wecould obtain hay and corn of the farmers much cheaper 
than at St. Jo. We needed it then, as grass had not yet 
started ; besides the distance was not much, if any, greater 



24 FIRST day's land journey, 

than crossing the river at St. Jo, and taking the Indian 
territory, as it was then called. 

Our first day's land journey was uneventful, but favor- 
able, and we made about twenty-five miles, pitched our 
tents on the bottom land near a small creek; fed the ponies; 
cooked our supper ; told stories ; talked over our plans for 
the hundredth time; made our bed and turned in, as happy 
as so man}^ bugs in a rug. It was my first experience of 
genuine camping out. I had only before had know^ledge 
of amateur camping out, when a few of us lads would 
make a night of it in some one of the man}' great sugar 
camps around my Ohio home, where we would boil sap, 
''sugar off," and sleep but little; yet how much of happi- 
ness v^as there, and real fun, for otherwise lonely country 
boys. 

But now we had entered upon the nightly necessities of 
camping in real earnest, and we were prepared to enjoy it 
after our day's journey, with the excitements and novelties 
of our new life, and were soon asleep. We had no pre- 
monitory dreams of what we had got to endure before our 
campings should become a history and a memor3\ About 
two o'clock we were awakened by water coming in upon 
us and into our bed, for we were sleeping on the ground. 
We hastih^ got ourselves out of our blankets and found 
that the whole flat was one sheet of water, and still rising. 
Dressing as soon as possible, we harnessed the ponies, 
hitched them to the wagon, and undertook to find high 
ground. But this was more easily planned than executed. 
The flat was wide, the night was dark, and just as we 
were coming to high ground there w^as a low swale at the 



CAMP FLOODED. 25 

foot of the hill with still deeper water, into which the 
ponies plunged and were soon floundering in bogs and 
mud. All was dark and in confusion, it rained hard, and 
all four of us were in the deep and muddy water, trying to 
loosen and extricate the floundering ponies. We finally 
got out of the slough with the ponies. Morning came at 
last, though it seemed long in coming, and showed us a 
sad and crestfallen party, looking out over a dreary waste 
of water where we had camped but a few hours before. 
"This is awful," saidone; "I wish I was back home again." 
However, we soon hitched up again and got our wagon 
out, which we had been compelled to leave in the slough, and 
pulled out for a farm-house which we saw about a mile 
off, and where we got a good warm breakfast and plenty 
of hot coffee, all for the modest sum of ten cents each. 
Here we spent the whole forenoon drying our clothes and 
bedding, when we again set out rejoicing, but with less 
exalted notions of camping on creek bottoms. We arrived 
on the fourth day at a little town called Lebanon, consist- 
ing of a grocery, a blacksmith shop, a hay-stack and one 
man, who was proprietor and manager of the whole busi- 
ness. There were about a dozen people there patronizing 
the grocery and drinking its bad whiskey. Here we met 
two men, who told us they were camped on the other side 
of the Missouri, waitingfor a few more to join them before 
starting out. We liked the appearance of the men, who 
said their part}^ consisted of twenty persons, and ourparty 
added would make the proper complement, and urged us 
to join them. We consented to join them. The ferry-boat, 
they said, would charge us twenty dollars for crossing with 



26 CROSSING THE MISSOURI. 

our wagon and four iiorses, but that the\' had a contract 
for fifteen dollars, and when they went back they would 
tell the boatman that more of their party were coming, 
and to be ready to take us over in the morning. Some- 
times, they said, it took a whole day to cross, and much 
depended on the wind, for if it blew up the river they could 
not cross at all, but must wait a calm or reverse wind. 
We promised if the wind was favorable to be at the river 
the next morning. 

In the meantime, we concluded we wanted another horse, 
and seeing the men at the grocery had one that suited us, 
we asked the price. One hundred dollars was the sum 
asked. We offered seventy-five dollars, which they de- 
clined. But when they saw^ we were going to give up the 
idea of purchasing at their price, their horse-trading ther- 
mometer dropped rapidly several degrees,' and until it 
stood at seventy dollars, when we closed the bargain. 
The horse was a good one, and rather than not have got 
him we should have given the sum first named. But I was 
not so young and inexperienced inbu3'ing and selling horses 
in Ohio, as not to know the advantages of a little finesse 
in such negotiations. We then bought twenty-five bushels 
of corn of the grocery man, and loaded up ready for a 
start the next morning. When morning came, the wind 
blew down the river, and that settled the point. The wind 
was our weather-cock for once. Arriving at the river, we 
found everything in readiness for crossing, and the men 
from the other side were there to help us over. We crossed 
without accident or delay, and went directly up to their 
camp, where we met as fine a party of young men as ever 



QUALITIKS OF Ol'K HORSES. 27 

got together. But, poor fellows, little did they know what 
thev had got to encounter or endure within the next three 
months, and little did they dream that in nine months 
every one of them would sleep the long sleep that knows 
no ^vaking. 

Our new camp consisted of some abandoned log huts, 
originall}' built during the Mexican war, and was called, I 
think. Old Fort Kearney. There was a dozen or more of 
them, and our original party took up its quarters in one 
and stabled our ponies in another. Our new friends had 
been camjDing there about a week before our arrival. The 
following morning being the first of April, we broke 
camp and pulled out on our long and tedious journey. 
We were all very heavily loaded, principally vv^ith horse 
feed. Some of the boys had two wagons, one being loaded 
with corn. We expected to find plenty of green grass be- 
fore a week's time, but in that we were doomed to dis- 
appointment, for the season proved to be much later 
than usual. There was at first much doubt about our 
little Canadian ponies standing the journey, with the 
large American horses, especially such fine ones as the 
others of our party had, for I think they were the finest 
lot I ever saw. They had all been selected for the special 
purpose of crossing the plains. Many had brought them 
from home and their own farm, where they had been raised 
and where they had fed and groomed them preparatory to 
this great journey. They looked upon our ponies as poor 
little, weak, rural scrubs, in comparison to theirs. We felt 
a little unhappy that they should depreciate our humble 
team, but we had to put up with it, only replying that 



28 A GOOD STORY TELLER. 

time ^vould test the comparative merits of the stock. And 
surely it did, for in less than a month there was not ahorse 
in the party but they would have exchanged for the poorest 
of our ponies. The American horses had always been 
stabled and groomed and had plenty of the best hay and 
grain, while ours had lived a rough life, and never knew 
stable or grain until we got them. Since then wehad taken 
the best of care of them and had given them all the\' could 
eat, so thev had started on the journey with good heart. 
A quart of corn a day to ours was as good as four quarts 
to theirs, and when their corn was exhausted we had still 
a good supply, although they had twice as much when we 
started. On the second day we camped on Salt creek, 
where Lincoln, the capital of Nebraska, now stands. 

We had hardly been located an hour when the camp was 
thrown into a state of excitement by the approach of a 
solitarv horseman leading two pack mules. He proved to 
be the mail post-rider from Santa Fc. He was surprised 
on finding we were emigrants, and we were delighted at 
meeting the lonely government ofiicial. We spent theeven- 
ing listening to his relation of hair-breadth escapes and 
thrilling experiences. He was a good story-teller, but 
whether they were all true, or largely imaginary, matters 
not now, but we believed them all then. He warned us to 
keep a sharp lookout for Indians. The Pawnees, he said, 
were friendly and we had nothing to fear from them, which 
we found to be true. Our visitor had not been gone more 
than two hours, when, having again started, a band of 
some fifteen or twenty Indians -were seen coming down 
upon us. The}- rode up within about two hundred yards 



A CLASSICAL INTERPRETER. 29 

of US, and all dismounted in front of us and made signs 
for us to stop. We obeyed the first signal. They then 
beat their breasts in token of friendship, and advanced 
towards us. Most of our part}' had never before seen 
an Indian, at least a wild one, and it is hardly necessary 
to remark that they did not wish to see one then. I had 
in my boyhood been some months among the Sacs and 
Fox tribe when they were in Iowa, and knew something 
of their habits, ways and actions; so these were not wholly 
strange to me. They came up to us, beating their breasts 
and proffering to shake hands with every one, and seemed 
very friendly. Somecould speak a little English, and prob- 
ably all of them could speak the Sacs and Fox tongue. I 
had once learned a few words of the latter language, but 
it had now nearly faded from my memory, I thought of 
a word or two and tossed it to their principal spokesman. 
He caught it and made demonstrations of delight at hav- 
ing met a white man who could speak such classical In- 
dian. Hearing them talk and watching their gestures 
brought back to memory many more words and signs of 
meaning, and I soon found I possessed tolerable facilities 
for social intercourse with the wild man. The Indians for 
that reason seemed to take a liking to me. I was not 
a little surprised myself at my success, as I was the 
youngest of the lot and the boy of the party. I was now 
inspired with ambition and desired to impress my com- 
rades with my importance as an interpreter of the Indian 
language, and I lost no opportunity of displaying my lin- 
guistic accomplishments. My dozen Indian words were a 
great vocabulary to my companions. They thought me 



30 DINING WITH THE INDIANS. 

a professor of the Fox language, and never discovered how- 
superficial their interpreter was. Henceforth I was deemed 
an important member of our party, and whenever any 
more Indians came down upon us, I was drafted to go to 
the front. 

This bandof Indians traveled with us all day and camped 
near us at night. The boys did not like this, and I did 
not quite fancy it, but what could we do ? We did not 
w^ant to offend them, or appear to dqubt their friendly 
disposition towards us. The next morning the chief said 
to me that there was plenty of deer a few miles ahead, a 
little off the line of our route, and if I would go with them 
thev would take me to the place. Some thought I had 
better not go, and I did not myself particiflarly care about 
it, but when I saw that they were afraid, that settled the 
point with me, and go I would and did. We started out 
ahead of the train and came to a creek where we dis- 
mounted and lay down. We had not been there more than 
half an hour before seven fine deer made their appearance. 
I seized my gun and was going to draw a bead on one at 
considerable distance, but they told me to wait and the 
deer would come nearer to us to drink at the creek, which 
they did, when I pulled the trigger and a fine buck fell. I 
felt I was growing taller rapidly. B}^ the time the train 
came up I had him dressed and we all had a feast of veni- 
son. The Indian and the white man for once, at least, 
dined together, and the interpreter sat at the head of the 
table. The confidence of m}' companions was greatly in- 
creased in me by the outcome of this last doubtful enter- 
prise, and they congratulated themselves in that they had 



INSTINCTS OF THE HORSE. 31 

fallen in with a person who so thoroughly understood the 
language and character of the Indian. At the close of the 
banquet we parted in peace and friendship. The Indian 
character had now become somewhat exalted in the esti- 
mation of our party ; they did not believe it so bad as had 
been represented. But they little knew what was yet to 
come. 

It may be of interest, as an illustration of the wonderful 
instincts of the horse, bordering so closely upon reason and 
intelligence in man, that our little Canucks, as they were 
now called by all, were very much frightened at the sight 
of our late indigenous friends, and would not suffer an 
Indian to come near them by night or day, and never 
throughout our long journey became any more reconciled 
to them than at first— a matter that proved very advan- 
tageous to us throughout the journey. An Indian could 
not come within a mile of us but the Canucks would make 
it known to us ; and if they were out feeding thc}^ would 
make for camp, and would not be driven out of it. No 
watch dog could have been of better service to us in this 
regard. 

The rest of the journey to New Ft. Kearney was tmevent- 
ful save in the occasional killing of a deer or antelope, or 
the sight of a straggling buffalo, which would set the boys 
wild with excitement, but they deemed it prudent not to 
exhaust their horses in chasing them, they not being at 
that early season fit to eat; besides the post-rider we had 
lately met w^ith had told us that beyond Ft. Kearney 
we would see them in droves of hundreds and thousands. 
This we thought too tough a story for belief, though we 



32 A MAN WITH A WHEELBARROW. 

credited all the rest, and therein we were not unlike the 
simple and credulous mother, in one of Captain Marryatt's 
novels, whose boy had been to sea, and whose stories and 
adventures had become her daily consolation cUid delight. 
He told her he had seen in the West Indies rivers of rum 
and mountains of sugar. This was to her a pleasant sur- 
prise, but she had implicit confidence in her truthful son, 
and only reflected on the happiness of a people so bounti- 
fully supplied by nature with the necessaries of life. But 
when he told her he had seen fish fly, the only truth he had 
told her, she thought he had been tempted by Satan ; that 
certainly was a fish stor3^ Our company could endorse all 
other tales of the solitary horseman and post-rider but 
that of the mighty buffalo herds. 

On the morning of the eighth day we reached Fort 
Kearney. It had just been built, or rather, it was then in 
process of building. One object of the government was a 
protection and shelter for emigrants, another a station for 
dragoons that patrolled the road from Fort Laramie to 
Santa Fe. We found by this time that our horse-feed was 
likely to run out, as grass had not yet started, but the 
commissary could furnish us no provender, but could fur- 
nish enough flour for ourselves to carry us to Fort Laramie, 
on the north fork of the Platte river, about four hundred 
miles. Our purchase of flour was to the extent of some 
fifty pounds to a man, and for about three dollars per hun- 
dred pounds cheaper than our purchase at St. Jo. 

The morning we left the Missouri river, a man started 
out with a wheelbarrow to cross the plains. He had a 
bushel of parched corn, his blankets, and nothing else. He 



34 FORT KEARNEY. 

wheeled it manfully for several days, but the speed we kept 
up was too great for him, and he gave out. We took him 
up and carried him on to Fort Kearney, where the govern- 
ment gave him emplo^anent at twenty-five dollars per 
month. There we left him, and I have never heard of him 
since. I have several times heard of a man crossing the 
continent wath a wheelbarrow, but I don't believe it was 
ever accomplished. This man, I am sure, could have per- 
formed the feat if any one could. He had all the advan- 
tages of youth, strength, courage and will, but I think the 
enterprise beyond human endurance. There are so many 
sand dunes, some extending for many miles, so many rivers 
to cross, besides deep and terrible gorges to traverse, and 
two ranges of mighty mountains to ascend and descend, 
that it seems to me impossible. Be it as it may, this man 
started — and that is all I know of him or his wheelbarrow. 



MONSTROUS BUFFALO HERDS. 35 



CHAPTER III. 

Junction North and South Platte — Snow-Storm — Distress and 
Suffering— Crossing the South Platte — Ogalalla— Impressions 
of the Country — North Platte Crossing — Buffalo Herds — 
Game— Sioux— Trading— Ft. Laramie — Shooting Wagons— Crows 
—Stealing, a Business Transaction — Pancake Snatching— The 
Frying-Pan Knock Down. 

WE left Fort Kearney the next day after our arrival 
there, it being the ninth day of April, having 
made two hundred and eighty miles in eight days. The 
buffaloes were daily getting more plenty, so much so that 
we were several times compelled to stop our train to let 
a herd pass. I really believe I have seen herds five miles 
long. I won't make it any longer for fear I may be thought 
trying to go one better on the statement of the Santa Fe 
post-rider. On the fourteenth, when we were near the 
junction of the North and South Platte, there came on a 
snow-storm in the night of about a foot in depth. In the 
morning the wind rose, strong, fierce and cold — a regular 
blizzard — which continued for three days. The snow 
covered the buffalo chips so we could not get them to make 
afire, and if we could have got them they were so saturated 
they would not have burned. 

We formed a corral with the wagons by hauling them as 



36 SNOW-STORM AND SUFFERING. 

close together as possible, running the pole of the hind 
wagon under the forward one, and so on, and then huddled 
the horses inside as close as they could stand. Our corn 
was getting low and we had to use our flour mixed with 
corn. We could do without flour ourselves, for we could 
get plenty of meat of all kinds ; so we fed the flour to the 
horses, without any fear for ourselves. We burnt three 
wagons to keep from perishing. Never in my experience 
did I pass three such terrible days, and I hope never to be 
called to endure the like again. The fourth dav came off 
pleasant, but the snow had drifted so that traveling was 
almost impossible. As the sun shone bright, we were 
bound to leave the place where we had suffered so much. 
The bright sunshine on the snow blinded our eyes and 
blistered our faces. Some may doubt abovit our faces be- 
ing blistered by the snow, but it is a fact, nevertheless. 
Our progress was very slow through the snow-drifts, and 
we camped early in the day near an island in the South 
Platte, where there was an abundance of wood, made a 
good fire and cooked a warm meal, which we had not had 
for four daj's, and felt better. It was getting late in the 
season, especially for such a storm ; but now the sun shone 
clearly and warm, the snow was fast disappearing, and 
what was better still, our hopes of green grass soon start- 
ing, put us all once more in cheerful spirits. We had some 
fears about being able to cross the two rivers, South and 
North Platte, and knowing we were close approaching the 
first, it was thought best that some of the party should go 
ahead and select a crossing place. I was one of three se- 
lected to go on this service, on account of my supposed 



FRIENDLY SERVICES OF PAWNEES. 37 

influence with all Indian tribes we might meet with, hav- 
ing already had some success with the Pawnees. When 
we were about twenty-five miles in advance of the train, 
we fell in with a small band of Pawnees, for we were not 
yet out of their territory. We were surprised to find that 
they knew of our coming and were on the lookout for us. 
They told us the regular crossing was about twenty miles 
from there, up the river, but that as the river was rising 
rapidly it would be too high by the time the train would 
arrive there; so they took us back about six miles and 
showed us a crossing which they said was better than the 
one above. They took us across and showed us how we 
must take advantage of the sand bars. They were friendly, 
and of great service to us. They warned us to beware of 
the Sioux, as they were very mean and would lie and steal. 
We found afterwards that they had told us the truth, 
in the latter respect certainly, for a bigger set of thieves no 
one ever fell in with. They told us never to attempt to go 
straight across a stream, but to strike a current, and fol- 
low it up or down until we struck another, and follow it 
up or down, and so on until we reached the oppositebank. 
They took us across and showed us how to do it. For this 
service we gave them sugar, which they were highly pleased 
with. Their time seemed to be of no object to them, and 
so they staid with us that night, a thing which we did 
not much admire, although they had not shown any tend- 
ency to steal ; yet we had not the most implicit faith in 
their honesty, and kept a sharp lookout for them. The 
next day the train came up, and we set about crossing 
the stream. The river was, at this point, we judged, 



38 CROSSING THE SOUTH PLATTE. 

over half a mile wide, but the course of the different 
currents we had to follow up and down made the 
journey from side to side nearly two miles. This had to 
be done with four and six horses, and a man to each wheel. 
Sometimes all the horses would break through the crust 
of sand, formed by the pressure of the current running 
over it, and all would go down as soon as they began to 
plunge, and ouronly way was to unhitch, draw them down 
on to another hard crust in the current below, and all 
hands man the wagons and drag them out. Sometimes 
the wagons would be left standing so long the water would 
wash the crust away from the wheels and down they would 
go, and we would have to unload and carry everything to 
a sand bar, then take the wheels off and floattheboxdown, 
put the vehicle together again, load up, and make another 
start, only to meet with a similar mishap. The only way 
was when once started to keep moving as long as possible. 
Everyman of us was in the water from morningtill night, 
and must have traveled in the _three days of crossing, ten 
miles in water up to his \vaist, for nearly every team re- 
quired the whole force in its transit. But everything has 
an end, and so did the crossing of the South Platte river. 
After a tedious labor of just three days, we camped out in 
the Ogalalla, about five hundred yards from the river, to 
avoid musquitoes, which were terribly anno^ang nights and 
mornings, which one would hardly believe possible only 
five days after a severe snow-storm. Nevertheless, it was 
so. The weather had come off warm, and we had now 
high hopes of grass, as it had already begun to sprout. 
I have often been asked if the country along the Platte 



QUALITY OF SOIL AND OGALALLA. 39 

produced grass at that time. I do not think it did so 
much as now. There was plenty of dry last year's grass 
when we came along, showing that the 3'ear before there 
had been a good growth. The impression that for a time 
prevailed that that region of country produced but little 
or none, resulted from the enormous amount of emigra- 
tion that followed us, which kept the grass cut down so 
close that the land was thought to be barren. Almost 
every one at that time was unfavorably impressed with 
that region of country, and I thought then, if the govern- 
ment would offer me a patent of all the land we traversed 
between Fort Kearney and Fort Laramie, I would not 
accept it ; yet himdreds of miles of the same land has since 
proved to be of the very best quality for both grazing and 
agriculture. The fact that the region abounded with buf- 
falo at the time we passed, was proof that it was a good 
range for mighty herds, and the game we killed was very 
fat ; besides, the Indians were there with plent}^ of horses, 
all of which looked well for that season of the year. Why 
should not grass have grown then as well as now (1887), 
for the country along the North and South Platte is in a 
high state of cultivation ? 

The very place where we crossed the South Platte boasts 
of a town, only three years old, Ogalalla, the county- 
seat of Keith county, western Nebraska, bordering upon 
the northeast corner of Colorado. Its population exceeds 
a thousand. It has two banks, three hotels, three dry 
goods stores, groceries, furniture houses, a seventy barrel 
flour mill, and restaurants too numerous to mention. 
The population of the county is over four thousand, and 



40 • CROSSING THE NORTH PLATTE. 

the country for miles around is equal to any in the east. 
So one can see that the opinion of many early emigrants 
was incorrect touching the value of the land. 

Ogalalla is the westernmost station but one on the 
Union Pacific railroad in Nebraska, and here, near the 
scene of his first sad experience in crossing the continent, 
after thirty-five years of varied fortunes by land and sea, 
the narrator has pitched his tent for life among a generous, 
industrious and enterprising people, where, even but a 
few short years since, there was but the trail of the buf- 
falo, the Indian and the gold hunter, and calls the 
goodly town his home. 

And now, after this digression, I return to the more 
serious business of our journey. From the South Platte 
where we crossed to the North Platte is about seven miles, 
but we took a western course and did not strike the lat- 
ter river until we had traveled about fourteen miles, and 
continued on some distance to a point laid down on the late 
maps as Ash Hollo\v, on account of some small ash trees 
growing in the ravines near the place of crossing. We 
tried it by sending over some of the men on horseback, 
who reported favorably. We camped there on the south 
bank that night and made an early start in the morning, 
sending over our wagons with boxes or beds all made 
water tight, and fastened down to the running gear, and 
two strong cords fore and aft, with four men holding 
the ropes from the upper side of the stream. This we 
found answered well, and soon we had two teams cross- 
ing over at the same time, and, in the course of the day, 
had them all on the other side of the river without a 



GOOD SPIRITS— LAYING PLANS. 41 

sinofle accident, and so the stream which we had most 
dreaded proved the one that gave us the least trouble. 

We were now in high spirits, thinking we were over the 
worst of it. It is best, perhaps, that nature has ordained 
the future to be closely veiled from the human mind. True 
we had met thus far none but friendly Indians — we did not 
want to. We were like the man who was asked to go out 
in advance as a scout in search of Indians that had been 
committing some depredations. "No, "said he, "Ihavelost 
no Indians, and I don't want to find any." We had not 
come out into that wilderness in search of the red man, 
although we kept a sharp lookout for him. Not a night 
passed but we stationed two men on sentry, relieving 
them at twelve o'clock and putting on two more till morn- 
ing. The weather was getting warm, but the grass did 
not seem to grow. There was, however, an abundance of 
old grass, which seemed to be much better than on the 
South Platte. Our corn and flour were nearh^ exhausted, 
and we had used none of the latter ourselves. We had 
hopes of buying some at Laramie, and were bound to make 
all speed for that place. We were now twenty-three days 
out and had made over five hundred miles, notwithstand- 
ing hindrances by storm and the crossing of two rivers, 
and had advanced about two hundred miles from where 
we crossed. At night, around our fires, our experiences 
were rehearsed and our plans laid for the next da^^ We 
had plenty of meat, and if we were out, all one had to do 
was to go outside the camp a short distance and kill as 
many antelopes as he wanted; and as for buffalo, thev 
were a troublesome nuisance, often stopping the train till 



42 FRIENDLY SIOUX— ARRIVE AT FORT LARAMIE. 

the herd jjassed. We could shoot into a herd when pass- 
ing and drop a young heifer or two, dress them, take 
what we wanted, and leave the rest to spoil — spoil, that 
was almost impossible. Meat would keep for weeks, even 
in hot weather. A hard shell would form over the outside 
and keep the inside fresh and sweet for an incredible 
length of time. 

We were now traveling over thirty miles a da}-, on an 
average, towards Laramie. The roads were good, no rivers 
to cross, and nothing to detain. It was too late in the 
season to expect any more storms, especially such as we 
had experienced ; the land was rolling and not mountain- 
ous. We met with but one band of Indians, Sioux, about 
twenty in number. They rode around us and finally dis- 
mounted, and one of them exhibited a paper and offered it 
to us to read. The document had been written by some 
white man, stating that they were friendly disposed. 
They wished to traffic with us. We swapped some old 
under garments, now useless to us but prized by them, for 
moccasins and trinkets alike useless to us. They were 
pleased with their good bargain, and rode along with us 
for a few miles when they left us, beating their breasts in 
token of friendship. W'e arrived at Fort Laramie on the 
twenty-ninth of April, having made a journey of a little 
over seven hundred miles in twenty-nine days. 

This interior fort was built the year before for the pro- 
tection of emigrants and the convenience of the dragoons 
that patrol the road between Fort Hall, in Oregon, and 
Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, as we were told by the officer 
in command. It was built on a vast plain in the midst of 



CACTUS TREES AND " SHOOTING- WAGONS." 43 

thousands of acres of cactuses, growing so rank and thick 
that it was impossible of approach except by the road. 
Thus it was in no danger of being surrounded and sur- 
prised by Indians, for they could only gain access bj' the 
road, where a single charge of grape or canister would cut 
a wide swath in their ranks. The fort possessed two can- 
non of ample calibre, on wheels, which were a curiosity to 
many interior Indians who visited the fort Thc}^ looked 
into the muzzle and walked around it, treading lightly, 
but when it was suddenly and to them tmexpectedly dis- 
charged, they ran for their lives, and did not return for a 
long time, and w^hen the\^ did, they approached cautiously, 
and asked if the "shooting-wagons" were loaded. When 
told they were, the Indians left, saying, " Shooting-wagons 
no good." 

The soldiers told us some pretty tough yarns about their 
encounters with the Sioux and the Crows — some were true 
and others, perhaps, doubtful — but we took them all in. 
They had the effect, at least, to make us keep a sharp look- 
out, to be on our guard, and in that respect they were 
harmless, if otherwise we did not receive them in the ut- 
most faith. As we were out of flour, the commissary told 
us we could have it at cost to the government, including 
the freightage, which was sixteen dollars the hundred 
pounds. We were willing to pay that price, but were dis- 
appointed when he would let us have but fifty pounds per 
man. We worked him a little. One party would go and 
get two hundred pounds for his party, then the same party 
would send another man and get the same amount, but 
soon he discovered our scheme and dropped on it, and 



44 NEWS BY THE CROWS— THE COLONEL's HORSE. 

would not let us have any more unless all hands in the 
party came together. We could not ring in on him the 
second time, but he took it all in good part, however. We 
remained there and rested our teams for two days. We 
left there on the second day of May, just about the time 
we should have left the Missouri river. Before we started, 
news came in from the Black Hills, brought by the Crows. 
Little and unimportant news is wonderfully refreshing to 
those who have been shut up in the interior of the conti- 
nent for a month, and there is no end to the number of 
simple questions we all asked the gentlemanly Crows, and 
I have since wondered they did not get impatient with us; 
but the}' seemed to like it, and regarded themselves as of 
great importance in consequence. 

While we were at Laramie, we learned that a few days 
before our arrival a soldier had stolen the colonel's horse 
and struck out for California. It was a valuable one, 
worth about one hundred and seventy-five dollars. We 
thought strange the colonel did not have him pursued, but 
he said, "Let him go, it won't be long before he will be 
back." When we had camped, on the evening of the sec- 
ond day out from Laramie, we saw at some distance a 
solitary horseman, coming on a little diminutive brute of 
a horse. We watched him for some time, totally befogged 
as to who or what he was. He didn't look like an Indian, 
although he had a buffalo robe around him. The mystery 
was solved when he rode up and got off— it was a white man. 
Except the buffalo robe, he was as naked as he was born. 
He proved to be the soldier that had stolen the colonel's 
horse. He had rode him, he said, about a hundred miles 



A BUSINESS TRANSACTION. 45- 

the first twenty-four hours, and tied up for a few hours to 
give him a rest, and again started and rode him until the 
next night, when a band of Crows came down on him and 
took his provisions, every stitch of his clothing, and his 
horse, saddle and bridle, gave him the buffalo rug, some 
jerked buffalo meat and the poorest pony they had, and 
told him to go back. This with the Crows is not deemed 
robbing or stealing, but a pure business transaction, not 
unlike, though in a humbler degree, a modern Wall street 
operation, though in the latter instance, the wanning party 
rarely contributes even a blanket to cover the nakedness 
of the party fleeced. The Crows call it swapping. They 
say the Sioux are mean and will steal — but Crows, "they 
good Indian, they swap." When they swap, they are 
pretty sure to get the best of the bargain, especially when 
they have an opportunity to corner the market, as they did 
when they dealt with the Laramie soldier. 

We fell in with several parties of Sioux, and found thej 
had not been misrepresented touching their pilfering qual- 
ities — in fact, they w^ould rob. They would rush and 
snatch the food we were cooking, and if one would allow 
them, they were what is called awful bouncers, if they 
thought one was the least afraid of them. One of them 
tried his little game on me, but it did not pan out as he 
had expected. I w^as cooking some pan-cakes in a frying- 
pan. He came up to me, saying in a bouncing and swag- 
geringway, "Giveme." I shook my head, and said "No." 
"Yes, "said he, and grabbed at those on the tin plate — they 
fell to the ground. Ashe stooped to pick them up, I struck 
him over the head with the hot frying-pan and knocked 



46 THE PANCAKE WAR. 

him sprawling, the grease in the pan flying all over his 
head and face. He got up and went off, shaking his head 
in burning pain and muttering terrible anathemas on me, 
I suppose — certainly they were not prayers or blessings, as 
I judged from the expression of his countenance. It was 
all the same to me, however. Whether curses or prayers, 
I never felt damage or benefit from them. The boys were 
afraid that my rash act would call down the vengeance of 
the whole tribe, but instead of that the others seemed to 
enjoy the joke, for they laughed at him, and he appeared 
to be ashamed. He did not, however, attempt to help him- 
self to any more pancakes. 



GAME ABUNDANT. 47 



CHAPTER IV. 

Black Hills— Antelope and Elk— Canadl\n Fur Trappers— Court- 
house Rock — Chlmney Rock — Hostile Crows — Strange Man- 
ceuyeks— Our Scotchman's Sudden Sickness— An Indian Prisoner 
OF War — His Surrender Negotiated — The Pipe of Peace — 
George, the "Squaw"- Trading — Empty Jug Discoyered — 
Whiskey Legal Tender— Independence Rock. 

WE were now getting among the Black Hills, a long 
range of bold mountains, now and then sending 
down small streams. The hills were of a slippery or 
soapy nature, and the wagons would slip and slide, par- 
ticularly if the road was the least sidling. In many places 
it required the greatest care, and we were compelled to 
let the wagons down with ropes fastened to the upper 
side, all hands manning the ropes, and getting them over 
one at a time, making pretty laborious work. The hills 
were literally swarming with deer, antelope and elk, the 
latter the first we had seen. The game did not seem to be 
afraid, especially the antelope. I went out one morning, 
not more than four hundred yards from camp, and shot 
seven, all within fifty yards of the place where I shot the 
first one. The deer were of the black-tailed kind, and not 
so large as our eastern deer. There were also some 
mountain goats, but they were very shy and kept beyond 



48 A PARTY OF TRAPPERS. 

shooting distance. They seemed to recognize the rule my 
father inculcated when I was a child and got in his way, 
when he would say, "Stand back, you can see just as 
well." 

At a place then called La Bont creek, the multitude of 
game surpassed all I had ever yet seen. Here we fell in 
with a party of Canadian French trappers and fur dealers. 
They had four wagons loaded with bales of fur, bound 
for St. Jo. A few could speak very indifferent English, 
but the larger number only French. They said they had 
been from the frontier twelve months, and that for the 
last six months had lived solely on jerked buffalo meat 
and coffee, never in the time having even seen bread or 
flour. Jerked meat is cut in long slips, about a quarter of 
an inch thick, and dried over a slow fire, or hung in the 
sun four or five days, when it is put away for use. It is 
boiled as meat, or used dry in place of bread. It 
is very good for a hungry man, and tastes fairly 
good, but it will never become popular as a dainty 
dish among the epicures of Delmonico's. In 1865, 
sixteen years afterwards, I met one of the same party, 
Canadian Jo, as we called him, in Australia. He knew 
me and told me where he had seen me. I noticed his 
English had not much improved in all that length of time. 
Coincidences in life are often many and sometimes quite 
surprising, and such I deem this one. 

We now came to a place called Court-House Rock. The 
rock, however, stood about seven miles off our line of 
travel, but a conspicuous object. Some of the part}^ got 
badly sold in starting on foot to inspect it, thinking it 



COURT-HOUSE AND CHIMNEY ROCKS. 49 

only about a mile distant, but after walking an hour and 
finding it still apparently as far off as when they started, 
gave it tip, while others on horseback reached it. It is a 
high rock in the middle of a great plain, apparentU on 
an artificial mound, the earth gradually sloping from it 
on every side, and it has the appearance from the road, 
where we first saw it, of a mammoth court-house, but 
when approached, they said, it bore no such resemblance. 
From base to summit it is four hundred feet. Chimney 
Rock is something over three hundred and fifty feet 
high, and has the appearance at a distance of an old, 
dilapidated chimney. I went to see that and climbed to 
the top. When at the top, and as the sun was about to 
drop below the horizon, I could see our camp many miles 
distant in the plain, the men cooking supper, the horses 
grazing, and what was most strange to my vision, the 
men looked like toddling children and the horses not more 
than a foot high; yet all could be seen as plain and distinct 
as if they had been within two hundred yards, while in 
fact they wefe seven or eight miles away, for it took me 
over two hours rapid walking to reach camp. 

The day after visiting Chimney Rock, about ten in the 
morning, we were surprised by a band of Crow Indians, 
who came riding down from the northern hills at full 
speed. There must have been seventy-five oreightyof them. 
They came within about four hundred yards of us ; then 
suddenly wheeled their horses and rode around us two or 
three times, at the same time» going through many of 
their warlike motions, drawing their bows as if to send 
an arrow\ Some would ride down furiously close to us, 



50 SUDDEN SICKNESS. 

as if they were going straight through us, then suddenly 
turn and ride back, turning in their saddles and feigning 
to shoot, and finally return to their partj^ which had been 
watching their movements with apparently as much in- 
terest as we had been, which was not a little. We expected 
an attack and closed up our teams as close as possible, 
but still kept on the move. The men all examined their 
rifles and pistols. It was my turn to drive that day. We 
had a Scotchman in our mess, who just then came to me 
holding his head with both hands. *'0, Charlie," said he, 
"I am so sick." "Are you," said I, "then get uphere and 
drive." I was as glad to get down as he was to get up, 
as I knew that if the train was attacked the driver would 
be picked off first. I had not been down five minutes 
before I saw our train apparently without a driver. I 
ran around thinking George v^^as really sick and had keeled 
over, but found he had made a hole among the bags and 
boxes just big enough to crawl into, leaving his head only 
just high enough to see the horses. Frightened as I was 
myself, I could not help but laugh. I knew he Avas a 
consummate coward, but I had given him credit for too 
much pride to let it be known. 

The Indians had now been at least half an hour going 
through their performances, only stopping to let their 
horses blow, and then start afresh, we still moving on. 
At last, one more daring than the rest came down on us 
and went through a like performance, wheeling and pre- 
tending to shoot. There ^as a young fellow in our com- 
pany named James Pierson, a daring spirit as ever lived, 
and as good a fellow as he was fearless, who had a 



A PRISONER OF WAR. 51 

splendid riding horse, three-quarters bred, that could run 
like a deer, for which m}^ pony was no match. But I went 
to Jim and said, "If that redskin tries that game again, and 
you will cut him off from the rest, I will ride in and down 
him." "All right, "said Jim. Presently down came the brave 
again, this time a little nearer. " Come on, Charlie," said 
Jim, and away we went. I heard our boys calling to us 
to come back, George's voice above the rest. He had got 
over the headache. The Indian saw us coming and tried 
his best to reach his party, but Jim's horse was too fleet 
for the Indian's pon^^ and headed him off. He turned only 
±o meet me, with my pistol on him, within a hundred feet. 
He dropped his bow, pulled in his horse and began beating 
his breast. With our prisoner between us we rode proudly 
into camp. When the other Indians saw we had the man, 
they got off their horses and down upon their knees, beat 
their breasts and made signs for us to come up to them. 
We stopped the train and went out to meet them. Thev 
professed friendship, pulled out the pipe, got into a line, 
and asked us to give up our prisoner, which we did. 
Then we all took a whiff from the pipe, they all the while 
Toeating and pounding away on their chests, jim and 
myself they complimented \vith titles, such as "Big W^ar- 
rior," "Big Man," but when driver Scotch George came 
to have his pull at the pipe, they said, "Squaw no good," 
and refused him the pipe, and turning to me said, "coolah 
(boy),nosquaw." So they had noticed George's taking the 
place of driver and hiding in thewagon. Poor George was 
rather crest-fallen, for he had been a great brag, always 
telling what he would do in case of an engagement. He 



52 WHISKEY LEGAL TENDER. 

never, so long as I knew him, recovered from the Indian 
christening of "Squaw " 

When the prisoner had been surrendered and the treaty 
of peace negotiated, trade and commerce succeeded, and 
traffic began. They were ready to swap an3^thing for 
sugar. They had an American horse — one, I suppose, they 
had borrowed the year before of the Mormons as they 
passed along. He was a fine upstanding animal but very 
poor, and his hair was long and rough. At first look one 
would not give five dollars for him. I wanted to buy him 
but did not know what to give, or what to offer in ex- 
change. They wanted sugar — I offered them money — "no 
good, they said. Sugar and whiskey were legal tender. 
I was bound to have the horse, and as I had not used my 
share of our stock of sugar, and felt rich in the supposed 
possession of a quart of brandy — my share of the gallon, 
never having tasted it, I supposed it all in the jug — I 
was prepared to trade. George earnestly remonstrated 
against my parting with the brandy ; we would want it 
for sickness, he said. Both the other men were willing, so 
I agreed to give a pint of sugar and a pint of whiskey. 
George interposed a final objection— if I treated the In- 
dians, they would follow us and steal the horse back and 
more with him. But it was of no use, and the boys all 
said they would stand extra guard for a few nights, and 
that settled it. I took an empty vinegar bottle, put in 
about one-third water, got out the gallon jug of brandy, 
that no one had yet tasted, and filled a pint cup. Judge 
of our surprise when we found it had been exhausted and 
watered till it was about the strength and color of pale 



CROW WAR, PEACE AND TRAFFIC. 53 

sherry! But no one was more surprised than Scotch 
George himself. He charged it upon some of the other 
bo\^s ; but it was of no use, for the cat was out of the bag. 
His strenuous objection to the trade was the dread of the 
brandy exposure. He was crestfallen, but did not reform, 
for when, some days afterwards, a little brandy was needed, 
the jug w^as empty. Thus ended the Crow war. 

Among the less weightier transactions w^as the ex- 
change of an old, blue, woolen shirt, that I had worn from 
the frontier, for a suit of buckskin, shirt and pants, with 
strips two or three inches in length along the seams. It 
was a fine and attractive costume when new and the 
weather was dry, but when the pants got wet in the 
slums, the legs elongated, and from time to time had to be 
amputated a few inches — the same with the sleeves of the 
shirt — but soon, however, \vhen the weather became dry 
and warm, the legs of the pants withdrew to a point 
above my knees, and the sleeves of the shirt could not be 
coaxed down below^ my elbows. I never afterwards 
aspired to Indian fashions or patronized the redskin 
tailor. 

We next came to Independence Rock, so named, it was 
said by some, by Colonel Fremont, who stopped there one 
Fourth of July — by others who say because it stands out 
on the plain, away from any other eminence. It is one 
solid, grand bowlder, probably the largest in the world, 
covering, at least, ten acres of ground, and is between two 
hundred and three hundred feet high. Whatever the 
origin of its name, the rock is there, with many thousand 
names of visitors inscribed thereon, some with chisel and 



54 INDEPENDENCE ROCK. 

others with paint. I undertook to chisel my name there^ 
but soon became discouraged and gave it up. We re- 
mained a day and rested our horses, which had begun to 
fag, and were falling away and getting weak for the want 
of green grass. 

Resting upon the ground on the sunny side of the mighty 
bowlder, a boy of seventeen, unlettered and unread, to 
whom geology was a term almost unknown, and the theor\^ 
of the Ice Age not yet developed, instinct alone prompted 
the mind to contemplation — to questions unanswerable — 
as the one invariably propounded by the child when told 
by his mother who made him — "Who made God? " Whence 
came this loose, separate, independent bowlder rock — 
mightiest of the mightiest — in the centre of this vast green 
and grassy plain, on the roof of the continent, miles away 
from all other 

" Crags, knolls and mounds, confus'dly hurled, 
The fragments of an earlier world ? " 

As the finite cannot comprehend the infinite, so I was left 
to ponder upon the incomprehensible mystery, even unto 
this day, of the genesis and history of Independence Rock. 
The Sweet Water river is close by the rock. It is about 
one hundred and fifty feet wide, and we crossed it on snow^ 
that had slid down in an avalanche, completely bur3^ing 
it. The snow was frozen on the top, forming a crust capa- 
ble of bearing our horses and wagons. A short distance 
from where we crossed, there was a crack in the snow that 
enabled us to see the river running beneath. We letdown a 
rope to the water, which on measuring we found to be 



devil's gate. 55 

twenty-four feet from the surface of the snow. It was a 
perfectly safe bridge for miles. The stream forces itself 
through a split mountain. The rift is not more than two 
hundred yards wide, and the rocky walls rise over three 
hundred feet above the water. It is a fearfully grand sight 
to look down into the chasm where the water rushes, 
dashing against the bowlders and forming foam and 
spray almost equal to Niagara Falls. It is called Devil's 
Gate. I do not wish to pass an opinion upon the appro- 
priateness of the name, but I feel pretty sure that if one 
entered the gate, he would soon be launched into the pres- 
ence of his Satanic majesty or landed in the realms of 
bliss. 



56 SUMMIT OF THE ROCKIES. 



CHAPTER V. 

South Pass— The Summit — Dividing of the Waters— Subblet's Cut- 
off—General Rejoicing— Green River Crossing — The Shoshones 

— Woman's Burdens — No Chivalry — Hot Springs — Steamboat 
Valley — Game Scarce — Fort Bridger— Old Jim and His Squaw 

— Black River Crossing — Echo Canon — Salt Lake in the 
Distance. 

WE were now approaching what was called the South 
Pass, or the summit of the Rock mountains, where 
the waters divide — one making for the Pacific, the other 
the Atlantic. We were within twenty miles of the summit, 
and many were our speculations concerning its topo- 
graphical appearance. Some thought it would be a great 
mountain to ascend and descend, but all were agreeably 
disappointed when we found it was a gradual and hardly 
perceptible ascent to a point where, for the first time, we 
saw the water running in a westerly course. We thought 
concerning the summit something as did the Irishman on 
board ship about to cross the equatorial line, for which he 
had kept a sharp lookout but did not see, and who, when 
asked about his experience when crossing the line, said, 
"Devil dam of a line did I see." 

The country now for about eighteen miles on was as level 
as a house iToorand al)out twenty miles wide from hills to 



GREEN RIVER CROSSING. 57 

Tiills, when we came to a fork in the roads, or rather trails, 
to a place called Subblet's Cnt-ofF, one leading northwest, 
towards Oregon, the other a little south of west, which 
went directK^ to Salt Lake Cit}^ and the Mormons. After 
much consideration and discussion it was put to vote, 
and the latter route carried, although it was a diversion 
of some two hundred miles from the direct route. The 
■object \vas to rest and replenish our stock of provisions. 
After passing the summit the grass gradually improved, 
and being mixed with the old did not hurt, but greatly 
strengthened our poor and weakened horses, for they got 
about equal amounts of each. We were in good spirits, 
feeling that we were on the last half of our journc}^, and 
began to think our greatest troubles over. There was a 
general rejoicing in camp that night — story telling and 
song singing. Conviviality is a wonderful cure for past 
afflictions. 

Our next place of note was the crossing of Green river — 
that wonderful central continental stream which has its 
source near Yellowstone National Park and the fountain- 
head of the Missouri, and empties into the Colorado as the 
Missouri does into the Mississippi. When we drove down 
to the river we were surprised to find a band of at least 
two hundred Shoshone Indians camped on the western 
bank. It was late in the afternoon, and it would take till 
dark to cross, and then we would be compelled to camp 
among this strange tribe, an idea that was not pleasant 
to contemplate, and so we concluded to camp where we 
were, and commenced to turn out our horses. We had 
Jiardly let them loose when some of the tribe came over to 



58 THE INDIAN "derby." 

US and gave us to understand that we must cross that 
night, for in the morning, they said, the river would be too 
high to cross. At first we thought it a scheme of theirs to 
get us among them and rob us in the night. Upon further 
consideration, v^e thought if their purpose was to rob us 
the river was no hindrance to them, and so we concluded 
to cross. The whole band turned to and lent a hand in 
crossing. "Many hands make light work, "and so it was in 
this instance, at least it made quick work. The Indians 
v^rorked manfully, and I don't think w^e were over two 
hours in crossing the now famous river. They all seemed 
to be very friendly, and the only matter they bothered us 
about was their extreme anxiety to trade. For the most 
worthless article we had they were ready to swap some- 
thing equally valueless to us. We satisfied them pretty 
well for their services, which had been valuable to us. In 
the morning we found, as they had told us, the river 
swollen bank to bank, and w^hich would have caused us 
great trouble and loss of time had we not taken their 
advice. 

They took every means to amuse us, even to the getting 
up of a horse race, and inviting us to enter our ponies and 
blooded stock, and compete with them for the royal red- 
skin "cup." "We explained to them that our horses were 
all handicapped by hard service and sharp bones, and 
could not compete at the Indian " Derby " with the racers 
of the Shoshone nation, on the banks of Green river. They 
intimated that we were altogether too modest in our 
claims by pointing out, as a worthy horse to enter, Jim 
Pierson's "Dexter" — the same with which he had clipped 



THE INDIAN WOMAN's BURDENS. 59 

the wings of the Crow. They are, generally speaking, 
good judges of a horse. 

The next morning, when we started, they struck their 
tents and traveled all day with us, and there were many 
amusing scenes in the cavalcade. Ponies packed so one 
could see only a big bundle of traps moving; another 
pony carried a big basket on each side with three or four 
little Indians in each ; still another wee bit of a pony 
would stagger under the weight of two, and sometimes 
three, robust and heavy buck Indians. The men all rode 
while the squaws were all on foot, and most of them stag- 
gering under a heavy load. Chivalry seemed to have been 
but partially developed among the Indian tribes, for 
while the man went in quest of adventure, and revelled in 
jousts and bouts, they seemed to have no lady-love to pro- 
tect, or whose smiles of approbation they considered 
worthy to win. The Indian woman is a beast of burden 
and a slave. Civilized man is more kindly and generous 
towards woman. He lets her do as she pleases — perhaps 
he can't help himself— pays her dry goods bills, or fails; 
lets her have her own separate property, and his own too, 
when he wants to keep it from his creditors ; indulges her 
in occasional hours of relaxation by holding the baby. 
In fact, he debars her of no rights which he himself enjoys, 
saving the right to vote and to "speak in meeting" — 
which last even Paul would not allow. 

They camped with us the second night, and in the morn- 
ing left us, manifesting the strongest tokens of friendship. 
Since we had passed the summit our road had been change- 
able, with many small mountain streams to cross, one of 



60 STEAMBOAT VALLEY. 

which was so serpentine that we crossed it twenty-seven 
times. The snow was rapidly melting, and every little 
stream was swollen to full banks. There was a place in 
our route called Steamboat Spring Valley, which was 
interesting to travelers from the circumstance of its con- 
taining certain very active hot springs, whose intermit- 
tent puffs of steam could be seen at a great distance, and 
which seemed wonderfully like an approaching steamboat. 
Upon arriving at the place several springs were found puff- 
ing away — all more or less hot — one, in particular, cer- 
tainly near the boiling point, which was said to be 
unfathomable, which would bubble and boil at the surface 
for a minute or so, and then belch forth to the height of 
two or three feet and then subside for two or three min- 
utes, and then repeat the process. It was, at least, a vivid 
reminder of the story of the Dutchman and his son, who, 
in crossing the country, had camped near a hot spring; 
but all innocent of such a wonderful phenomenon, he 
started out to get a refreshing drink while his son was 
unyoking the oxen. He got down on his knees, but took 
in, instead of cold, a mouthful of hot water. Ejecting it 
quicker than he had sipped it, he told Hanse to 3^oke up 
the oxen quick — saying, "Hell is not one mile from this 
place, sure." Often within a few rods, or even feet, of one 
of these hot springs, there will be a spring of ice cold 
water. 

Game was getting scarcer very fast after crossing the 
summit, only a few antelope and deer, no mountain goats, 
no elk, nor jack rabbits, which, perhaps, I have not before 
mentioned, but which bear a strong resemblance to the En- 



FORT BRIDGER REACHED. 61 

glish hare. There is also the sage hen, something Hke the 
partridge or the New Zealand hen. They are a fine-looking 
bird, but when cooked they are not eatable, being so 
strongly tainted with the wild sage bush, which is their 
sole subsistence. The wild sage is mostly found on barren 
land, and the Laramie country produced the most exten- 
sive fields of it. As for the Indians, I found the Pawnees 
the best tribe, the Shoshones the next, but to take their 
word each tribe was good, but their neighbors were 
represented as all liars and thieves. The Sioux had that 
name among emigrants. All tribes I ever talked with 
said the Crows would rob, or "swap," as they called it. 
But of all the tribes that we had met with thus far, the 
Shoshonees alone did not steal from us. Nevertheless, all 
Indians are at least notorious vagabonds and beggars. 

While the days were warm, the nights were now very 
cold, and we suffered much, for we were wet durinsf the 
day in cro'ssing streams and lay in wet blankets nights, 
not one of us having a stitch of dry bedding. We were, 
however, happy in one thing, and that was that food was 
good and our horses were improving every day. I never 
before saw grass that horses would fatten on in so short 
a time, and do so much work as they will on this western 
prairie grass ; nor did I ever see old last year's grass that 
had the substance in it like this in and around the Rocky 
mountains. The reason is, there is not so much rain and 
it cures before frost comes ; the substance and sweetness is 
dried into it instead of being dried out of it. 

Now we have come to Ft. Bridger, which now, after 
thirty-eight years, is known upon the map as being in the 



€2 OLD JIM AND MADAME BRIDGER. 

southwest corner of Wyoming, close to the border of 
Utah. It was named after the man who built it twent\'- 
seven j-ears before, and still lived in it. It was dark before 
the train reached there, and three of us rode ahead, but 
it being further than we thought for, the gates of the 
Bridger fortress were closed for the night. We knocked 
for admittance. Heasked who was there. "A party from 
the frontier," w^e responded. "When?" he asked. "This 
spring," we replied. "Impossible!" said he. But we 
proved our case to his entire satisfaction by showing him 
the St. Louis papers. He took us in and treated us very 
hospitably. He had a squaw and two children, a boy and 
girl, half casts, of whom he seemed to be very fond. 
The^' were about fourteen and sixteen, respectively. Old 
Jim, as the lord of the castle was called, was anxious for 
us to hear them read, w^hich we did. Madam Bridger, 
the squaw, cooked us a good supper, making some light 
biscuit. I don't know but that it was because we were very 
hungry, but certainly I thought they w^ere the best I had 
ever eaten. At all events, they were the ver\' best I had ever 
eaten of a squaw's baking. We had a good dry bed of 
buffalo rugs — the first dry bed for many a night — and I 
need not say that though a lad of only seventeen, worn 
out and tired as I was, I did not require rocking to induce 
sleep after getting into a warm bed. 

The train came in about noon the next day and camped. 
Bridger, or Old Jim, gave us a remarkable history of himself. 
He said that the name by which he was known was an 
assumed one, that he was a native of Virginia. He said 
that when a boy of sixteen he fell into disgrace, and in 



MORE RIVER CROSSING. 63 

consequence thereof ran away, and that his family had 
never known of his whereabouts as he knew of, as he had 
changed his name and had never written home. Joining 
a band of trappers he came out there, where he had re- 
mained ever since. He claimed to be very rich, having 
made his money in the fur trade, and after the Mormons 
commenced to come to Salt Lake he made much money 
out of them by trading in horses, taking their worn out 
ones and getting the full value of his in money as "boot." 
According to his own story, he was an unscrupulous 
sharper with very strong tendencies towards rascality. 

We started next day for Salt Lake City, a distance of one 
hundred and twenty miles. We were in hopes to reach 
there in five days, but we were disappointed. The first 
stream to cross was Black river — not much of a stream, 
but we had to take our wagons to pieces and ferry across 
in wagon boxes, a tedious operation, as the ground was 
boggy leading to the approaches, consequentlvall our lug- 
gage, and even the wagons had to be carried to the river 
from the foot of the spurs — in some instances a hundred 
yards. A rope had to be run across the stream, bvsome one 
swimming across and carrying a cord in his teeth attached 
to a rope, and pulling it over. After this was made fast, a 
wagon box, well corked and pitched so as to be water tight, 
was launched, and the work of ferrying commenced. It was 
a tedious and laborious job. Then Black Fork river had 
to be crossed. The first time it was accomplished without 
difficult3% but the second time we had to swim our horses. 
It was difficult to make our horses take the stream. We 
had to push them in, but their instincts protested, and thev 



64 COLD, CRAMPS AND CAYENNE. 

would turn and come back. My little horse Billey was the- 
best leader of all, and was always selected for that ser- 
vice, especially where the current was swift. I had implicit 
confidence in him, and had become careless. I jumped onto 
him without taking off his harness. I pulled off my pants 
and took them on my arm. We had reached the middle of 
the stream when Billey caught his hind foot in one of the 
traces and suddenly rolled over on his side and floated down 
stream, while I became confused, not thinking to cut the 
harness and let him free. I jumped from him and went 
ashore, but seeing my little horse still struggling in the 
middle of the stream, my presence of mind returned, and, 
taking my knife in my teeth, I started back for poor Billey, 
cut the harness and freed him, and soon had him on shore. 
The current was strong, the water cold, and we must 
have been in the water half an hour. I became chilled, had 
the cramps in coming ashore, thought every stroke would 
be the last, and it would had not good Jim Pierson 
seen my difficulty and stripped and come to my rescue. I 
was brought ashore and laid out on the ground perfectly 
benumbed. They rubbed me and ran for the brandy, but it 
had all evaporated through old George, and nothing was 
available but some of the cayenne pepper. They rubbed 
me with that and gave me some internally, which brought 
me around. In less than three hours I was swimming the 
stream for the third time with a cord in my teeth, but my 
horse was never good in the water after that. 

Webber river next gave us considerable trouble, a crooked 
river which we had to cross several times, of swift cur- 
rent, where the wagons had to be held by ropes. On this 



ECHO CANON. 65 

river is the famous Echo canon. At some places in the 
canon, which is some miles in length, one may talk in a 
common tone of voice, and he will get no less than three 
distinct repeatals of the words he has spoken. Some days 
the echo is much more distinct than others. The scenery 
in some places is unspeakably grand. The canon is about 
two hundred yards wide, with perpendicular walls four 
hundred feet high. At some pomts, one may seethe mount- 
ain goats skipping from rock to rock, where one would 
hardly think a fly could hang on. They are very shy, and 
it is almost impossible to get near enough to shoot one. 
We occasionally had an opportunity to inspect the carcass 
of one who had departed this life, leaving his head and 
horns, which we found to be about as much as we could 
carry. We had now got past the region of game — only 
now and then an antelope — buffalo from herds of thou- 
sands had dwindled down to two or three at the most, a 
few ducks, and that was all. Saw some signs of the 
grizzly bear as soon as we had passed the summit and 
began to descend the western slope, but the terrible beast 
himself we had not seen. He was doubtless at home, but 
none of us were ambitious of making his acquaintance, so 
passed his door without leaving our card or knocking. 

We now left Echo canon and passed over to another, 
and up it for fifteen miles, leading over the divide, or low 
mountain range which separates the Green River valley 
from the Salt Lake basin. Of all the trials we had met 
with in our long journey, this was the chief The gorge 
w^as filled with snow from bottom to top and was melt- 
ing, and streams of water from the sides were rushing in. 



G6 ARRIVE AT SALT LAKE CITY. 

The horses would break through the softening crust and 
have to be dragged out ; the wagons had to be taken to 
pieces and carried ; and, worse still, when night came we 
had to take the horses back to Webber canon to feed. This 
Herculean labor lasted five days, when finally we reached 
the summit to find our ample reward in the most beautiful 
prospect on this earth. Seventeen miles away down the 
gentle western slope lay the beautiful, but then little, vil- 
lage of Salt Lake, as plain to the naked eye as if onl}^ half 
a mile away. Beyond the village. Salt Lake, eighty miles 
long, glistened in the sun, its remotest shore as distinctly 
visible as the village itself. Away to the south, as far as 
the eye could reach, w^as one broad, beautiful, level plain, 
covered already with a carpet of deepest green. All this 
loveliness of lake and landscape was bordered and framed 
by snow-capped mountains whose silver summits seemed 
to touch the blue vault of heaven. Such w^ere my impres- 
sions of Salt Lake City and valley then, and never since, 
in all my travels, has that picture faded from my memory 
or been surpassed by any other. 

Not one of our company but enjoyed these beauties of 
nature. We celebrated the day by pitching our camp on 
the summit and dining on the best our larder afforded. It 
was our last meal on the first half of our journe3\ At 
three o'clock we arrived on the ground, about two miles 
out of the city, where, I am told, the new fort now is, 
though I have not been there since. Here, on the nine- 
teenth da\^ of May, 1850, we camped for a few daA^s, it 
being our forty-ninth day out, and having traveled 
thirteen hundred miles from St. Louis. 



MORMON HOSPITALITY. 67 



CHAPTER VI. 

Salt Lake City— Hospitality— Mormon Women— Anxiety for News 
—Needles and Thread— Brigham Young— Sunday at the Temple 
— A Race with a Shower — Laughing Ladies — Distance Decep- 
tive — Comforting Assurances — Lndians all Baptized — Ogden 
Park — Sudden Death — Bear River — The Valley — Then and 
Now. 

NEVER were people more surprised than were those 
at Salt Lake City at such an early arrival. It was 
unprecedented, impossible; they would not believe we had 
come all the way from the Mississippi imtil we showed 
them St. Louis papers. The hospitality of the people of 
Salt Lake City was unbounded. No strangers were ever 
before or since taken in and treated more kindly by any peo- 
ple on this earth than we were by them. Women in partic- 
ular were as kind as mothers and sisters to sons and 
brothers returned after long absence. They would stop 
us on the streets, and call to us from the doors of their 
houses to come in, so anxious were the}^ to learn where 
we came from, hoping to hear through us from their old 
home in the states, or possibly from England, Sweden, 
Denmark, and even from the borders of Finland. They 
invariably asked us to eat, and would hardly take no for 
an answer. 



68 TRADING WITH THE WOMEN. 

We remained in Salt Lake three days, going among the 
people, trading any little articles we had for flour, which, 
by the way, was a scarce article even with them, as all 
their flour was ground in hand mills and sifted. We 
bought it by the pint measure, paying thirty cents a pint. 
Where we traded for sugar we got two pints for one. 
A spool of thread would buy almost anything of the 
women, and, as most of the boj^s' mothers had fitted 
them out bountifully with needles and thread, they were 
thus enabled to drive a brisk trade with the Mormon 
ladies, especially in the line of vegetables, that being the 
first season of plenty with them. Brigham Young, priest, 
prophet and king of the Mormon faith, was then in the 
full vigor of life. He visited our camp and conversed with 
us on our journey, but neither interfered with us nor had 
anything to offer ofl^ensive or unpleasant. Some of our 
men attended services at the temple on Sunday, and were 
treated with the same civility they would have a right 
to expect from any other class of worshipers. I shall 
ever feel kindly towards the Mormon people. I never 
speak evil of the bridge that has carried me safely over the 
stream. Salt Lake, in my time, was only in its infancy. 
The Mormons had onl}-- sent on a party in 184-7 to find a 
place for settlement, and in 1848 was the first emigration, 
and it is wonderful how much they had accomplished in 
two j-^ears. They had already many farms under consid- 
erable improvement ; and as for the future city, it was hand- 
somely laid out in squares, with irrigating streams running 
through the principal streets, combining in this respect, in 
a happy degree, the elements of novelty, utility and com- 



ATMOSPHERIC PHENOMENA. 69 

fort. About a mile and a half out of town were springs 
of hot, warm and ice-cold water. They were utilized for 
bathing purposes. The men monopolized the establishment 
four days in the week, the women two. 

While riding out on a trading expedition for flour and 
vegetables, I suddenly looked around and discovered a 
heavy shower of rain which seemed to be close on me. I 
expected to be drenched to the skin in a moment. Spying 
a house about half a mile distant, I put my horse to the 
run, never once looking over my shoulder, but every 
moment expecting a bath. I could hear it pouring in tor- 
rents back on the mountain side, and I spurred the pony 
on at his full speed. At last I arrived at the house, there to 
meet five women laughing hard enough to burst steel cor- 
sets, had they worn them. I inquired the cause of their 
laughter, and judge of my surprise when they said they 
were laughing at me. "It never rains in this valley," they 
said. I looked back, and there, surely, was the rain pouring 
down not half a mile off, as it seemed tome. "Well," said 
I, rather indignantly, "you will see rain here, in this God 
selected country of yours, in less than three minutes." I 
could not believe them when they told me that that 
shower was over five miles away, on the mountain side. 
"But," said I, "it is not over half that distance to the top 
of the mountain." They said it was over twenty miles. 
However, I was soon on friendly terms with these laugh- 
ing women and effected a pretty good trade with them, and 
rode away, they telling me in happy humor that if 1 saw 
another shower of rain not to break my horse's neck try- 
ing to run away from it, if I did not like to be laughed at 



BAPTISM OF THE PIUTES. 71 

in Salt Lake valle}^ When I returned to camp, one of the 
bovs related a similar experience. I laughed at him, but 
took good care to keep my own adventure to myself. 

On leaving our Mormon friends, they all comforted us 
with the assurance that we need have no fear of the In- 
dians, the Piutes,astheyhad all joined the congregation of 
the Latter Day Saints, the chief only a few days before 
having been baptized. We felt glad to know that the 
noble chief and his whole tribe had secured through tickets 
and a front seat in the happy hunting grounds of the here- 
after; but somehow our faith was not implicit that when 
we met him he would give us a "free pass " on our tempo- 
ral journey. Ogden Fork, as it was then called, thirty- 
eight miles due north from Salt Lake City, was our next 
objective point, where Ogden City now stands, on the 
Webber river, at the junction of the Union and Central 
Pacific railroads. The afternoon after leaving Salt Lake 
City, I was walking with one of our boys, both of us 
building castles in the air, when he told me his sole ambi- 
tion was to get money enough in California to return and 
buy a farm and make a home for his widowed mother and 
a sister, younger than himself, that he had left behind. 
His father, he said, had died when he was but ten years 
old, leaving his mother in humble circumstances ; but she 
had struggled through and managed to give him a good 
education, and now he only wanted to make enough to 
place her in comfort in her old age. I left him leading a 
pack horse and walking. Ten minutes later the pack 
turned, frightening the horse, which sprang forward, strik- 
ing him between the shoulders with his fore feet, and 



72 SUDDEN DEATH. 

knoclcing him down and his breath out of his body. We 
carried him under the shade of a tree near by. Not know- 
ing what else to do, and remembering what my brother, 
the doctor, had told me to do in case of an accident of the 
kind, I bled him. He seemed to revive for a short time, but 
gradually sank back, and died in about three hours. We 
buried him under the tree where we first carried him and 
where he died. Poor fellow ! It was a sudden termination 
of his young life and all his fond hopes. I have often 
thought of his poor mother and sister of whom he had 
spoken so recently, with his eyes glistening with tears of 
affection. Unfortunately, the poor fellow was a stranger 
to us all. We had met him only upon the start, and none 
knew his name or the address of his poor mother. The 
labors and anxieties of such a journey are so exhausting to 
the body and absorbing to the mind that we rareh^ get 
even the name of an associate, much less a knowledge of 
his history and family. So it was in this case. I have 
often wondered if she ever heard of his sad end. Parties 
like ours do not communicate so freely as they ought to. 
I have known persons intimately for years, and after all 
onh^ knew them as Tom or Charle\% without inquiring 
further. We don't like to appear inquisitive. I once knew 
a man in California .by the name of H. G. Nichols, for 
something over tw^o years, and we were almost as inti- 
mate as brothers. One day we were talking, and both' 
suddenly found that we were born within three miles of 
each other, he in the town of Twinsburg, Ohio, and I in 
Aurora, and both knew each other's family. On another 
occasion I was speaking of a young lady and an incident 



DISCOVERING OLD NEIGHBORS. 73 

that occurred at a dancing party when she, after dancing, 
walked out onto the balcon\^ of the hotel and fell to the 
sidewalk. A party I had known for years began to cross- 
question me about the incident, and facetiously asked me 
if I was there. Thinking he disbelieved me I was annoyed, 
and I said, "No, but perhaps you were." "Yes," said he, 
"I was." "Now tell me who you are," said he. "I had 
always supposed you from Kentucky." "And," said I, 
"I always supposed you werefrom Missouri "—and that is 
wdiat we called him. He proved to be Morris Meeker, and 
when, recently, I returned to Ohio, I went by his request 
and the promise I made him, and saw his father and sisters 
in Cleveland. I only speak of this to illustrate "how long 
persons may be acquainted and yet know nothing of their 
family or history. If persons so situated as we were 
would onl}^ be more communicative, more fathers and 
mothers would learn the fate of their sons, if death or 
calamity overtook them far from home. 

At a nameless stream, a few miles north of Ogden Fork, 
which empties into an arm or bay of Salt Lake, we 
encountered the first serious embarrassment of the second 
half of our journey. We were two days in crossing this 
comparatively unimportant stream. Its approach was a 
quagmire for two hundred yards. It was flooded from 
bank to bank with the melted snow of the eastern range 
of mountains, and the current was the swiftest we had yet 
seen. But it had to be crossed, and we went at it, taking 
our wagons to pieces and carrying them, piece by piece, 
across the swampy ground. One of the party, whom we 
called "Sorrel," a red-haired man, whose name I also 



74 CARRIED DOWxN STREAM. 

never knew, swam the stream with the fish line in his 
teeth, while one man in a tree paid it out to him. This 
was to keep the line out of the swift current of the stream 
as much as possible, that the swimmer might not be hand- 
icapped. Time and perseverance accomplish all things. 
One boat was laimched, but the current was so strong we 
could take but small loads, but we could get them across 
as fast as they could be brought to us across the swamp. 
It took the whole day and until ten o'clock at night to 
accomplish this part of the job. The next day we went 
about getting the horses over. They could not cross the 
swamp, so we had to go up the stream about four miles 
before we could find a place where we could get the horses 
in, and the higher up the swifter the current. We had men 
on both sides looking for a place, for it required not only 
to get in, but to get out as well. The horses seemed to 
know the danger as well, if not better, than ourselves, for 
it was almost impossible to get them near the stream. 
When once you could get one into the stream, the others 
would generally follow. 

I was called on to lead the way, or ride the leading 
horse. The best swimmer was brought to the front, for 
poor Billey was wholly demoralized after his struggle in 
Black Fork. The horses were now all brought to the 
bank. I mounted the leader and he was then pushed 
bodily into the stream, and the others followed. No 
sooner had we struck the water than the current drew us 
under, the horse floundering and I hanging to his neck, 
only my two hands sticking out, and going down stream 
at the rate of at least eight miles an hour, and all the 



CROSSING BEAR RIVER. 75 

other horses in the same manner, none having any more 
power over the current than if they had been shot from a 
cannon. We were taken down in this manner for over a 
mile, when the horse I was riding, or rather hanging 
to, struck the opposite shore. No sooner had he struck 
than I was on my feet on the bank, holding him by the 
bridle and singing out at the top of my lungs for help. 
One can judge of the rate of speed we floated when the 
boys on either bank could not keep up, running at 
the top of their speed. The other horses were swept 
down past me like shot ; but as fortune or Providence 
would have it, there was a bend in the river about three 
hundred yards below% and there the other horses landed. 
It was a sloping bank, and they all walked out. The boys 
soon came down to me and lifted my horse bodily out of 
the water. We were now all on the right side of the river 
without losing a horse or meeting with any other serious 
accident, and putting our wagons together we went on 
our way rejoicing. 

We had now fair sailing on to Bear river, which is the 
largest river emptying into Salt Lake from the north. We 
struck it at a point in the valley about eighty miles from 
Salt Lake City. It had given us a great deal of anxiety, as 
they told us in the city that we might as well stay there 
as to go up and wait there for the new party at Salt Lake 
City to come, which we tried to persuade to come with us, 
as they had three fine boats read}^ to put into the stream ; 
but the^^ declined, sa\'ing it w^as too early, that they were 
not going up there to wait a month for emigration, so 
we went without them. Upon reaching the river w^e were 



76 SAFELY OVER. 

agreeably surprised. Although it was a wide stream and 
much swollen, the current was slow, and all we had to do 
was to man our wagon-bed ferry-boat, and two men with 
spades paddled across, a third man standing at the hind 
and paying out the rope. Within half an hour from our 
arrival on its bank we were busy running our wagons and 
traps over, and within five or six hours we were, horses 
and all, safe on the western shore. Thus we were detained 
only a little over half a da}- at the stream, the crossing of 
which we had dreaded as much, if not more, than all 
others on our journey. 

We were now in the extreme north of Salt Lake valley. 
At that time it was perfectly wild ; there was no settle- 
ment, not even so far north as Ogden. The country was 
one beautiful, level plaia — the bottom of a once great 
inland sea of which the present salt sea is but a miniature 
survival. The plain was dotted with thin patches of tim- 
ber, especially near the numerous small streams that 
trickled down from the snowy mountains. Now this 
lovely valley is thickly settled with a teeming and indus- 
trious population — a great producing agricultural coun- 
try, dotted with pleasant farm-houses and thriving and 
growing villages, with homes of comfort and even luxury, 
where the most delicious fruit grows almost spontane- 
ously. 



FORT HALL AND SODA SPRINGS. 7T 



CHAPTER VII. 

Fort Hall— Soda Springs — Another Party — Disagreement— Hum- 
bolt River — The Sink — The Lake — The Desert — Suffering- 
Alkali Water — Digger Indians — Surprised — The Killed — A 
Death Avenged — Our Loss— Starvation — Boiled Badger — Ex- 
haustion— Mental Weakness— Childish Petulance. 

LEAVING Bear river, our route bore northwest up a 
gradual rise for about one hundred and fift}- miles 
until we reached Subblet's Cut-off, which I before men- 
tioned as the route where we made a diversion from 
the most direct line to go down to Salt Lake. Had 
we pursued the direct course, then we would have 
been some two hundred and fifty miles farther on our 
journey. Here was Fort Hall, and also some soda springs. 
The water when first taken out had all the effervescence 
and sparkling qualities of the domestic or manufactured 
article. When we reached the forks, we were surprised to 
find a piece of board put up, on which was written in 
bantering style an invitation to "come on." As we had 
been leading all others thus far in the journey, it was 
now a little humiliating to find a party two days ahead 
of us. We resolved, however, to overtake them. For 



78 EIVAL TRAVELERS. 

three days we made at least fifty miles a day, and on the 
third day we came up with them, and we camped together 
that night, and for al30ut a week traveled together. The 
party we called the Ohio party, some being from Pick- 
away county and others from Canton, Stark county. 
There was a spirit of rivalry between the two parties to 
see which could outdo the other in progress. Finally the 
weaker teams began to give out and fall behind. Some 
were rather inclined to be vexed at those who were unnec- 
essarily hurrying onward. Not long, how^ever, before 
there was loud murmur and complaint, secession and a 
split. Some of our own party falling behind, together 
with some of the Ohio party, as we called the new party, 
and being about equally divided, we bade good-by to the 
balance of the original company we had thus overtaken, 
and pursued our journey without further entangling 
alliances with foreign nations or companies. 

We were now traveling down Humbolt river, named in 
honor of the famous German traveler, having struck it near 
its source, at a point where now^ is Elko, a station of the 
Central Pacific railroad. We followed it down three hun- 
dred miles, tributaries constantly coming in until at last 
it becomes a pretty respectable river. After two hundred 
and fifty miles it gradually diminishes, and at the end of 
fifty miles more it sinks into the earth and entirely disap- 
pears, unless possibly to rise as a spring in the bottom of 
Humbolt lake. It is a reminder of the legendary story of 
the river in China where Cublai Khan built, in the 
thirteenth century, a summer palace on the Alph, near 
where it is said to sink into the earth and is thenceforth 



SINK OF THE HUMBOLT. 79 

forever lost, and to which Coleridge alludes in his weird 
poem, the opening stanza of which runs thus : 

" In Xanadu did Cublai Khan 
A stately palace dome decree, 
Where Alph, the sacred river, ran 
B\' caverns measureless to man, 
Down to a sunless sea." 

This is the famous sink of the Humbolt. Any one who 
went to California by this overland route in the early 
-days, and conversed with another of like experience, was 
sure to hear again and again of the Humbolt, the sink, and 
the desert. Upon our arrival at the sink, about ten o'clock 
in the morning, we camped, intending to give our horses 
rest for the day, and cross the desert by night. Here soon 
a division of opinion developed itself among the party as 
to which of the routes should be taken. Some were for 
taking the hilly and more northerly route bearing towards 
Oregon; others, and the majority, were in favor of the 
more southerly route, more directly towards California, 
but involving the desert country'. I protested with spirit 
asfainst the desert route. About three o'clock in the after- 
noon I struck out alone on a tour of reconnoitering and went 
down the southerly route five or six miles, where the road 
still bore directly south as far as I could see. I turned 
back fully believing that I had seen enough to convince 
the others that I was right and they were wrong, but when 
arriving in camp and reporting, I found them unchangeable 
in behalf of the desert route. I persuaded one of them to 
go with me to the top of a hill on the northern route to 
take observation of the country. This settled it with me, 



80 THE ILL-FATED DESERT ROUTE. 

and I was in hopes our report would influence the majority,, 
but those who had the most to say seemed to have the 
least knowledge of the geography of the country. They 
had desert on the brain, and desert they were bound to 
have. I remonstrated again, showed them how it was 
laid on the map. It did no good, for instead of influencing 
them, it seemed to touch their pride, or rather vanity. 
The idea of a seventeen year old boy attempting to dic- 
tate to, or even instruct grown up men, was prepos- 
terous! But they soon wished they had followed the 
boy's advice. Bynot doing so the majoritylost their lives. 
At half past eight o'clock of a June evening, we started 
on that ill-fated route, v/ith all the water our vessels would 
hold, some even carrying a bucket in their hand. They 
expected to cross the desert by daylight the next morn- 
ing. Da^^ight came, but it brought the most dismal 
and dreary prospect men ever beheld. 0, ourpoor famish- 
ing horses, to say nothing of ourselves ! I then tried to 
have them return to the Humbolt sink — but no, this was 
the true route. Then, with those who were so wise we 
traveled on till ten o'clock, when we came to one of those 
sand mounds, or dunes, on the north side of which were 
two small lakes, and some coarse, rough bunches of grass,, 
which, when we first saw them, raised our hopes, and even 
I began to hope that, after all, I was wrong in my conjec- 
tures, and that my companions were right. Now one of 
our party, a wiseacre, such as Artemus Ward would cal! 
a "knowledgeous cuss," commenced to ridicule me upon 
my knowledge, or assumed knowledge of the country, 
saying "they would have looked well to have followed the 



ALKALI WATER. 81 

advice of a kid that had just left his mother — that it was 
a pity she had not spanked me before I left home and taken 
out some of my self-conceit." I told him the right of such 
discipline I still acknowledged as the prerogative of my 
mother, but of no other human being; and if he thought 
he could do the duties of such office, he was then and there 
welcome to try the experiment. Though ill-tempered and 
insulting, he did not then proceed to violence. 

When we arrived at the lakes, judge of our surprise and 
disappointment on finding the water of the strongest 
alkali. Some of thehorses got a few swallows before they 
tasted it ; others we succeeded in keeping away. We found 
some springs near b}^, but they were hot, some boiling. Rest- 
ing our horses here for an hour, we again started, and 
pushed on over the dreary waste of sand till night. The 
day, fortunately, had been cool and cloudy. Our prospects, 
however, were as gloomy as ever; but the horses must 
have rest, to say nothing of ourselves, who were in any- 
thing but a sweet temper, everj-body blaming his neigh- 
bor, and every one coming in for his share of the blame 
except me. As I had fought so hard against the route 
from the start, no one presumed to blame me, not even 
the smart aleck who had ridiculed the kid. 

Old Tiger, the horse we bought before crossing the Mis- 
souri, got so much of the alkali water that he was getting 
weaker every hour. All, in fact, were failing except the 
Canadian ponies; they were all right and plodded right 
along as though nothing had happened. We laid over 
imtil midnight and then started for— God only knew 
where, for we all confessed we did not. We made but 




82 



DISTRESS IN THE DESERT. 83 

poor headway that night, and when morning came we 
were on the same shingle lava that rung like a bell when 
the horses stepped on it. There was some change in the 
prospects in the morning. We could see some low shrubs 
ahead, and some signs of vegetation, little patches of 
sword grass with sorry attempts at better grass growing. 
Presently the mules began to bray, and the Canucks to 
prick up their ears, sniff, and push ahead. We knew we 
were coming to water. O, how impatient was both man 
and beast to reach the expectant water ! Words are value- 
less, and fall dead and meaningless in the attempt to 
decribe such a scene to one who has not had a similar 
experience. Poor old Tiger, who had been staggering 
along, soon stumbled and fell. We pulled off his pack and 
let him lie. Some were for killing him, but Costler and 
myself w^ould not permit it. Froui that time on the 
horses began to drop, one after another, until five succumbed 
to the terrible effects of famishing. We left them as we 
left Tiger, and went on. As all misery must have an end, 
so did ours, when at last we reached a little creek of fresh 
water and plenty of grass. But now came the tug of war ; 
our horses and mules rushed with fury for the water, and 
it was almost impossible to control them. Mules were 
braying, horses pawing and men swearing, a wild and 
crazy orchestra in the desert. As soon as we got the sur- 
vivors watered and turned out to grass, some of us 
started back with water for the poor beasts that had 
fallen by the way. The farthest, old Tiger, was about 
five miles back. What was our surprise when we met the 
old fellow, staggering on a few rods and then stopping to 



84 SUFFERING AND DEATH OF HORSES. 

rest. We gave him about a gallon of water. He stood 
for a while begging hard for more, like Dickens'" school-boy 
at Dotheboys Hall, then started off in a half trot for the 
camp, whinnering as he went. We met three others of 
the five staggering on as best they could, and to each w^e 
supplied a little water, but the fifth had bade farewell to 
the trials and tribulations of the desert journey. When 
we got back to camp with the animals, tired and worn- 
out as we w^ere, we enjoyed the consolation of a cooked 
supper and a good drink of coffee which had been prepared 
for us. It is wonderful the change in one's temper effected 
by the comforts of a satisfied stomach. Only a short 
time before every one was cross and ready to quarrel with 
the first who would tread on the tail of his coat, but now 
all were cheerful and sociable. We camped here nearly 
three days, and by that time our teams had recruited, 
except those that took the alkali water — they were still 
weak and drooping. 

After three days' rest w^e traveled on at easy stages for 
four days, when wre became convinced that w^e had lost our 
point of compass in the desert, and were now traveling in 
the direction of Oregon instead of California ; but rather 
than retrace our steps across that one hundred and five 
miles of desert, we concluded to keep on to the borders of 
Oregon and take our chances of getting down to Califor- 
nia. Better had it been for most of us had we struck our 
tents and returned to the desert. The fifth night out we 
camped at the mouth of a deep rock- walled canon. We 
had seen no signs of Indians since leaving Humbolt and 
had become careless, thinking there were none in that part 



SURPRISE AND MASSACRE. 85 

of the country, turning loose the horses without picketing 
them, and sitting up, telling stories and singing songs, till 
rather late, when we turned in without a sentry, not hav- 
ing kept one since leaving Salt Lake. Soon all were sound 
asleep, none dreaming of what was in store for us. Sud- 
denly we were aroused by the ponies rushing into camp, 
snorting and trembling, and no one could drive them out. 
We should have known that Indians were around by the 
actions of the ponies, for they always gave us warning, 
had w^e not supposed we w^ere entirely out of the Indian 
country. But hearing nothing of the other horses and 
mules, which seemed to be feeding quietly, we came to the 
conclusion that the ponies had been frightened by wolves, 
which were plenty in that region. So we went to bed, but 
only for a brief time, when we were again aroused by yells 
that could come from none but the throats of redskin 
devils. In an instant we were up and out. The devils 
were trying to drive the ponies out of camp. We gave 
them a warm reception. They then made down among 
the horses and mules and drove them before them, all the 
while keeping up their unearthly j^ells. The Ohio boys were 
camped more to one side of us, and down nearer where 
the horses were feeding. Most of them had thrown away 
their guns, consequently there was no shooting among 
them, but they ran to secure their horses and mules. 
When the Indians got among them they let fly a shower 
of arrows, killing three men dead on the spot, and wound- 
ing four more. We followed up, firing after them in the 
dark, and soon made it so hot for them that they got 
away with only a part of the stock. When daylight came 



86 KILLED AND WOUNDED. 

we mustered about twenty horses all told, including, I am 
happy to say, the ponies which never left the camp. We 
buried the three dead comrades in one grave, and cared for 
the four wounded as best we could. One had three arrows 
in his body, and could not possibly live but a little while; 
another had an arrow between the shoulder blades, and it 
seemed doubtful if he could live. The other two were not 
so severely wounded, but the arrows were poisoned, so 
the chances were against them. Then we commenced to 
pack up, little thinking we would have another attack 
from the devils, but about eight o'clock they came again 
in hundreds, showering down on us like hell-hounds, and 
sending arrows by thousands. The very hills resounded 
with their yells. There was only one course to pursue, 
and that was for every man to do the best he could for 
himself. We rushed for our horses which were close by, 
but on our way out poor Jim Pierson was struck in the 
neck by an arrow, just a little ahead of me ; he fell, and 
before he had time to rise to his feet a red devil brained 
him with a stone tomahawk, and then turned on me; 
but, thank God, before he had time to commit another 
such an atrocious and cowardly deed, he got a free leaden 
passport to join his fathers in the happy hunting grounds. 
I only wished that poor Jim could have known that his 
cruel death was so quickly avenged. Those that could 
reach their horses, did so, and rode for dear life for the 
mouth of the canon where the Indians had blocked us off; 
but we were bound to get to open ground, every one 
shooting his way through until he got into the open field, 
when w^e called the roll and found remaining but nine out 




87 



88 SECOND ATTACK— OLD TIGE's STAMPEDE. 

of twenty-three. We halted for awhile hoping a few more 
stragglers would come in, but we waited in vain. We 
loaded our guns and rode back to the mouth of the canon 
and fired on them, taking good care that we did not get 
hemmed in, but the devils were wary of our guns and 
made for the side hills and skulked behind the rocks. We 
got one poor fellow who had four arrows in him. He had 
hidden in a water-hole among some rocks. Others had 
run down and jumped into the water and tried to hide 
themselves, but the Indians found them and dispatched 
them, and such, doubtless, would have been the fate of the 
one we rescued, had not our second attack frightened 
them away. He told us he lay in the water with a big 
pond lily over his face, when the Indians found another 
who lay not ten feet from him, dragged him out and 
butchered him, but when they heard our shooting they 
ran, and then he came out. 

We buried them all that afternoon. They were stripped 
of every article of clothing, and even the poor fellows 
that we had buried in the morning had been dug up and 
stripped. We looked around for something they might 
have left, but there was nothing. God only knew what 
would become of us; we did not, with nothing left 
but our arms and old Tige. John See, one of our 
boys, had put the pack saddle on him, the bag con- 
taining our last few pints of flour, and hung the coffee- 
pot, kettle and frying-pan to the saddle, when the 
stampede started. Tige followed us through pell-mell, 
kettle and frying-pan rattling. No doubt he frightened as 
many Indians as we did. After it was all over, one of the 



CONSULTATION. 89 

boys said, "Charlie, you are wounded, too" — and sure 
enough, I was. There was an arrow, shaft and all, stick- 
ing in my back. It had struck me just over the kidneys, 
but had passed through three or four folds of a coarse 
woolen shirt, and no doubt that saved my life, but it had 
entered so deep into the flesh that it had to be cut out 
We stopped there until after dark and then pulled out, 
in hopes of deceiving the redskins, which no doubt we did, 
and traveled till ten o'clock that night, when we lay down, 
taking good care not to be surprised again; then up at 
break of day and starting anew, and traveling on till nine 
o'clock, when, being perfectly exhausted, we took a rest 
and had a consultation as to what to do. 

Most of the part}'- were in favor of returning. It was 
put to vote and seven were for returning to the sink of the 
Humbolt, three in favor of going on through. When 
asked where, none could tell. Costler, See, and myself 
were for going on. The very ones that had been so deter- 
mined to take that route, were the ones that now wanted 
to go back. I again came to the front. No, I would not 
go back. I would not retrace our steps over three 
hundred miles, and encounter again those Indians that 
had massacred nearly two-thirds of our party, and recross 
that desert. Besides, our horses would never stand it, and 
if they did we would be farther from any settlement than 
we probably w^ere now. They thought we would meet 
with others w-lio would let us have provisions. I said we 
had none to spare when w^e were at the sink, and more 
than likely those that followed us to that point would be 
in like condition; that I firmly believed we were then not 



90 DIVISION OF FLOUR AND COFFEE. 

more than two or three hundred miles from Oregon, per- 
haps not more than one hundred miles ; that I had been 
led ofif there against my judgment, and now that I was 
there, all the powers of hell could not turn me back, though 
every man desert me. Two of the men stood with me. 
We each had a horse, and old Tige extra, but he was down, 
and it was plain that he could not last long. We were 
afraid to kill and eat him, thinking he being poisoned it 
would be dangerous to us. So we agreed to a fair division 
of the flour and coffee, for that was all we had. Every 
man had a pint cup attached to his belt. We found we: 
had just ten pints of flour— just one pint to a man — and 
six pints of coffee, which we divided into ten parts. The 
coffee kettle and frying-pan being ours, we claimed it — in 
fact the flour was ours as well. It was now about noon 
and time to start. When it came to bidding each other 
good-by, it was a sad and painful scene. They again urged 
us to return with them. Costler and See would, I think, 
had I consented. I told them not to be governed or influ- 
enced by me ; I was only a boy, but that I had made up 
my mind not to be led any longer by any one ; that I was 
going through or die in the attempt, even if every man 
went back. Then thej^ said they would travel with us- 
one or two days longer, if, on finding no change, we would 
then return with them. I told them I would never retrace 
our steps; that in my judgment we were approaching the 
route leading from Oregon to California; that we should 
strike the road and stand a chance of falling in w^ith emi- 
grants even if we did not strike a settlement in Oregon. 
That settled it. It had never occurred to them before, and 



DEATH OF OLD TIGER. 91 

I must be frank enough to say it had not to me. So, still 
an undivided company, we traveled on until five o'clock 
that afternoon, camped, built up fires as though we 
intended to stay there for the night, but as soon as it was 
dark we went on until about ten, when we lay down and 
slept till daylight, and then went on until eight or 
nine, w^hen we stopped, made coffee and baked our pan- 
cake. Our allowance was three spoonfuls of batter each 
inan — no danger of gout from high living; then after a 
little rest we went on till five o'clock, then rested again till 
dark, and so on until the fourth day, when in the morning 
we found old Tiger had passed in his check. I think there 
is a heaven for good horses, and if so, I think "Old Tige" 
found a large balance to his credit, and a free range in 
green pastures and by clear waters in the celestial realms 
where weary and heavy laden horses alone find rest. 

John See and I were riding a little ahead of the rest 
when we saw a badger and killed it. We thought we had 
a prize, and stopped a little earlier that night to cook him. 
We boiled him, but when we tried to eat him, one might 
as well have undertaken to put his teeth through a piece 
of whitleather as through any part of that badger. So 
we drank the broth, or rather the water he was boiled in, 
for it did not rise to the dignity of broth, even to us fam- 
ishing men. However, we carried along the boiled badg- 
er's remains, riding till the next morning, when the boys 
set the badger's corpse boiling again. It was rather a 
warm morning, and I lay down in the shade of a tree and 
fell asleep. After two or three hours John See said: 
"Charlie, get up and have some of your badger." The 



92 THE BADGER AND THE PANCAKE. 

shade had shifted and left me with the sun shining full in my 
face. I felt sick, and the nameof badger was enough for me ; 
my stomach revolted ; I could not even look at the badger, 
nor could I taste my pancake. One of the party pulled 
out a twenty dollar gold piece and offered it to me for my 
pancake. I told him the money was of no use, but if he 
wanted the cake to take it. But the rest of the boys 
w^ould not let him take it, and told me to put it in my 
pocket and keep it until my stomach settled. So I folded 
it up and put it in my vest pocket and kept it till night 
when I ate it. 

Many, doubtless, who may read this narrative, will be 
curious to know something how starving men feel, and 
w^hat are their thoughts, reflections, and even dreams. I 
can only say to those who have had no such experience, 
who have been reared and lived in happy homes of plenty 
and comfort, or rocked in the cradle of luxury and ease, 
that, speaking for mj^self, it is utterly impossible to 
describe my feelings under the circumstances related. No 
language yet spoken by man has wealth of expression suf- 
ficient to convey to one any intelligent or appreciable idea 
of the emotions, anxieties, distresses, agonies, fears, weari- 
ness, despondency and faintness, even unto death, of men 
so situated. As a slight indication of my mental and 
physical status under this terrible affliction, I will state 
that, while riding along alone, the memory of every good 
dinner I had ever eaten in my life, and every good thing I 
relished in childhood of my mother's cooking, would come 
back with such an impressing reality that I seemed to 
taste it as if still partaking of it. I dreamed of luxurious 



HOW STARVING MEN FEEL. 93 

meals and cool drafts of water, of tea and coffee, of milk 
and cream at home, and awoke only to the sad reality 
that it Avas all a dream. Perhaps, in riding along, one of 
the boys would ride up by my side as mentally weak, 
weary and faint as myself, and would try to strike up a 
little conversation, cheerless, petulant and unhappy as 
that of cross and quarreling children, something like this : 
"Do you see that gap in the mountain ahead of us?" 
"Yes." "Well, do you know when we get up there, I think 
the road will turn to the south." Then the sudden and 
petulant response • "What in blank do you know about 
the road ; were you ever there ^" "Well, you need not be 
so cross about it ; I probably know as much about it as 
you do." "Well, if j^ou knew so blanked much about the 
road, what in blank are you here for, lost in the Sierra 
Nevada mountains?" This specimen of unhappy social 
intercourse is to show the w^eakness of both mind and 
body among men naturally kind and friendly and imbued 
with sympathies resulting from common sorrows. We 
had become weak and petulant children. In the midst of 
our reflections, perchance a horse would stumble and fall. 
"Poor brute," we could only sa}', "may the Lord pity the 
poor horse," for we seemed to have no mercy. These un- 
happy feelings were apt to possess us generally about an 
hour after eating our little cake, when our stomachs were 
gnawing the reason and judgment out of our brains, as 
then we w^ere weak and stomach-sick, but agreeable- 
enough to each other generally. 



94 RIDING AHEAD. 



CHAPTER VIII. 

Another Comrade Killed— Eleven Dead Indians— Provisions Gone 
—Shall a Horse be Killed — Wagon Trail Discovered— Hope 
Revived — Great Rejoicing — Oregon Party — Rescued — The 
Women — Mush and Milk — Price ok Provisions — Yankee Doodle 
Beef — Cutting Out the Arrow — Indian Camp Surprised — The 
Captain's Hopeful Son — Pulling the Captain's Tooth — The 
Quack Doctor. 

ON the fifth day after the boys were killed, when we 
had camped and made our coffee and cakes, one of 
the party's horse having gone lame, he thought he would 
walk on ahead and lead his horse, and w^e would overtake 
him. We all tried to persuade him not to go alone, but 
he was determined and we w^ere not in the best of humor ; 
but go he would and did, and we said no more. We re- 
mained about two hours after he left, and then started. 
After about two hours, John See and I being about 
two hundred yards ahead of the rest, we heard a terrible 
noise, and listened, and at once came to the conclusion that 
there were Indians ahead. I held the horses while See 
went cautiously and looked around a bend of the spur of 
a hill. He soon returned, and the other boys coming up 
and seeing John's movements, knew something w^as not 
right, and he reported what he had seen. We left the 
horses with the wounded man and crawled around the 



DEATH OF FREDDY. 95 

point, when a strange sight presented itself. There were 
at least thirty Indians around a big fire having a high old 
time, yelling, howling, laughing, others feasting. We got 
<iround the point, unobserved by them, and within a hun- 
dred and fifty yards, when we all took deliberate aim and 
fired, then rushed upon them, yelling as loud as any of 
those devils ever did, and at the same time firing our re- 
volvers at them. Only two of us, however, had Colt's 
revolvers ; others had "Allen's pepper-boxes," as the early 
style of revolvers were called. The Indians were as much 
taken by surprise as we were a few days before, and ran 
for their lives as we did, that is, those that had lives to 
run for, for some of them bit the dust, and some that were 
not dead but only wounded when we reached them, im- 
mediately started on their journey to the happy hunting 
ground of Manitou the Mighty. On looking around we 
soon found the lifeless body of Freddy, the only name we 
knew him by, his clothes stripped off and fourteen arrow^s 
in him. His gun lay by his side, discharged, and the stock 
broken. Near him lay three redskins, which testified to 
the severity of the conflict and the heroism of our com- 
panion. We buried the poor boy as well as we could, and 
left with only the slight consolation that there were eleven 
less Indians in this world than an hour before. 

We traveled that night without stopping, as w^e formerly 
had, and did not camp till ten in the morning. Our pro- 
visions were now all gone, no flour, and only coffee 
enough to make two more drinks. Our reasons for not 
killing a horse before were, if we did so it would put at 
least three of us on foot, and that would retard our prog- 



96 FRESH WAGON TRAIL — REJOICING. 

ress, and that so long as the flour lasted we had deter- 
mined not to kill one. 

Now the question presented itself, whose horse was to 
be killed. Aly "Billey" was in the best condition, and 
some proposed to kill him. I objected, and the matter was 
dropped until we halted the next morning, when the horse 
killing bill was again offered in council. I offered to cast 
lots, and if it fell to my horse I would accept the result 
in silence, but not without. Blank, the man who had so 
much to say, when we left the Humbolt, about the boy 
that had just left his mother, spoke up and said he was 
not going to pick bones when there was plenty of meat, 
and took his gun to shoot Billey. Upon that I took my 
pistol out and stepped up to him, telling him that as sure 
as he shot that horse I would give him an immediate 
interview with his Maker. For that he did not seem to 
feel prepared, and desisted. All the rest were against him, 
saying that I only demanded what was fair for all. Then 
we all agreed to defer the killing till afternoon, camp earl}', 
and kill and have a good feast. So we started with that 
understanding and traveled until about two o'clock. 
While we were on the lookout for a good place to camp 
and kill, we came around a short turn, where, to our great 
surprise and joy, we came upon a fresh wagon trail, not 
more than three days old — a ver}'^ fresh track to us. 

Had an angel from Heaven come down and invited us to 
dine in the meads of Asphodel, he could not have been 
received w^ith greater rejoicing or with more grateful 
hearts than was the sight of that simple wagon trail, 
three days old, in the rocky recesses of the Sierra Nevada 



OREGON PARTY OVERTAKEN. 97 

mountains. We shouted and laughed, shook hands, yes, 
and cried. Even good Blank came to me and asked me 
to forgive him, showered compliments on me, said I was a 
good boy, that he never intended to shoot Bille}^ that it 
was a good thing it so turned out, as otherwise we should 
have had to kill a horse and that would have put us back, 
and now we were sure to be all right. And as for myself, I 
would have forgiven an\dDody or anything but an Indian. 
We followed that trail until we reached their camp of the 
night before. Then we lay down, but were up again in the 
morning betimes, and soon struck their last camp, when 
we felt sure of overtaking the party within three hours. 
But our horses began to lag, and we were so worn out and 
weak that when we got off we had to be helped on again- 
* Not one had strength to mount his horse without assist- 
ance. The arrow wound in my back was greatly inflamed 
and very sore. I had done nothing for it except that the 
boys used to wash it ; and as for the other wounded man, 
how he ever stood it to ride as he did and live, has always 
been a mystery to me. He had four arrow wounds in his 
body, and was red all over with inflammation, and swollen 
as full as his skin could hold, and so weak he could hardlv 
sit on his horse, but he bore it all without a murmur. 
Two or three of the horses began to stop and refuse to go, 
and we were compelled to leave them. It was then 
thought best for those who could, to ride ahead and get 
the train to stop.* Costler, See and myself went and over- 
took them just as the party had rested for the day. As 
soon as they heard our pitiful story, they, like true mount- 
aineers, volunteered to go back and meet those we had 



98 THE RESCUE — MUSH AND MILK. 

left behind. A light wagon was hitched up and a small 
part}' of horsemen galloped back, followed by the wagon, 
to bring the wounded man in, and as for me, I began to 
think I was in Paradise. They proved to be a party of 
emigrants from Oregon bound for California, and taking 
all their stock with them. They had cows, calves, pigs, 
sheep, and even hens and turkeys, moving with their out- 
fit for the new gold fields. 

No sooner had our party been brought in than the 
women of the emigrant party, having learned of our starv- 
ing condition, with that natural propensity that prompts 
the heart of woman, set about the work of cooking, each 
trying to surpass the other in generous acts. I was lying 
on the ground in front of a tent when an elderly woman 
came out and invited me into her tent and gave me a bowl 
of mush and milk. I never tasted anything so good, and 
it is needless to say I was not long in putting it out of 
sight, and then, like Oliver Twist, asked for more. But the 
old lady refused me. I told her I had money, that I did 
not want it for nothing. It was not money, she said, but 
that too much was not good for me. I could not under- 
stand the dear old lady's philosophy. I had had nothing 
to eat for a long time, and was now where there was 
plenty, was hungry and willing to pay, and why couldn't 
she let me have it ? Weak in mind almost as in body, like 
a disappointed and unhappy child, I got up to leave her 
tent, feeling that, after all, she was a sting}^ old creature, 
unwilling to give a starving man only so little, even when 
he was willing to pay for it. But just as I had stepped 
outside, up came another bowl of the delicious mush and 



GENEROUS OREGON WOMEN. 99 

milk. The old lady stood by quietly looking on, and when 
I had finished it, she said in a most gentle and motherly 
tone, "Now, young man, you are welcome to more and all 
you want." She knew better than I did how to treat the 
empty stomach of a long fasting and famishing man. 

The wounded man and all our party being in, the de- 
voted women had something of every kind they had cooked, 
and it was brought out and everyone invited to eat, which 
we all did, though some afterwards paid dearly for their 
lack of judgment and excesses. No one ever saw poor 
fellows in such misery as the most of us were in. I was 
not as bad as the rest, for the mush and milk administered 
by the sagacious and prudent old lady had prepared my 
stomach for the severer ordeal it had to undergo in receiv- 
ing an undue quantity of bacon and eggs and hot biscuit, 
just the food our stomachs were unprepared for, and under 
the cravings of which we had neither judgment nor 
prudence. 

The Oregonians very generoush' offered to lay over a 
day that we might rest ourselves and horses, which were 
as much worn out as we were. They told us Indians were 
ahead of us and that it would be better for us to travel 
with them, an invitation we most gladly accepted. 
They always kej^t out scouts to look out for the noble 
Indian, and woe to the red devil that crossed their path. 
They told us that the tribe that killed so many of our 
party, were the Goose Lake Indians. That those we were 
among now were an Upper California tribe, and that in 
all probability those that killed Freddy w^ere of the same 
tribe, as it was far south of the Goose Lake country, and 



100 A DOLLAR A POUND. 

the lake tribe was not likely to encroach upon the Feather 
river tribes. They held over two whole days for our party 
to recruit, then traveled by short and eas}- stages, starting- 
at eight in the morning and camping about two in the 
afternoon, making only about fifteen miles a day, which 
was a greatrelief to our poor fagged and jaded horses. But 
judge of our surprise when we came to buy provisions of 
them. Only think, ye who never paid more than three 
or four cents a pound for flour by the barrel or sack in the 
scarcest times, of paying a dollar a pound for everything, 
flour, meat, coffee, and even salt. The captain of the 
party was a shrewd man and a money maker. He was 
well to do, and had plenty of stock and money. He had 
already been in California and had done well, and knew 
just what he was doing now, and what would be the out- 
come of his present enterprise. He offered to buy our 
horses at fifty dollars a head, and let us ride them — that 
is, if we would remain with them. Of course before we 
got in the proceeds of the horses, the fifty pounds 
of provisions would have been eaten up. Some of 
the bo5's w,ere compelled to sell as they had no money; 
and probably we would all have been necessitated to 
do the same had it not been for a lucky circumstance 
that happened. He was very obliging; anj^thing we 
w^anted that he had we could have, of course by pa3'ing 
a dollar a pound. We wanted some beef, and he offered 
to kill a fat one if we would take one hundred and fiftv 
pounds; it was only to oblige us. We consented to take 
it ; but judge of our surprise when the fat beef turned out 
to be a little runt of a nine months heifer. It reminded 



YANKEE DOODLE BEEF. 101 

me of the song descriptive of the beef that Yankee Doodle 
killed, which took two men to hold it up while Mr. Doodle 
knocked it down. For beef this poor little heifer took the 
cake. But what were we to do? We must have meat, 
and had to have it ; besides, we were not very particular, 
any tasted good, and such appetites as we had were un- 
controllable; we were eating all the time, and it is no 
wonder that some or all of us were sick. The poor fellow 
that was wounded had to be carried in thewaeon. eettinp- 
worse every day. and his wounds a sight to behold. The 
Oregonians were very good to him, especially the women 
who looked after him and dressed his wounds, and were 
as kind to him as if he had been a brother. But he had 
now become peevish as a child, and grumbled and fretted 
and almost seemed ungrateful in return for their kind care. 
I never saw such a change in anyone in my life. Doubtless 
he suffered greatly from the jar and jolting of the wagon; 
besides, I think he knew he could not live, and that still 
more disturbed his weakened mind. He lived onlv till we 
got into Lessen 's, and died during the night — was found 
dead in the morning. He was the sixteenth of our party 
killed by the Indians. 

My own wound was now progressing as well as could 
be expected. As the arrow had been cut out, the wound 
bled freely. No doubt the poison was drawn out so largely 
as to be ineffective, and I applied some salve that my 
brother, the doctor, gave me, which proved beneficial. On 
the whole, it was just as well that old George drank the 
brandy, for otherwise it would have fallen into the hands 
of the Indians, and the ciuinine too, had we not, after dis-" 



102 THE captain's HOPEFUL SON. 

covering George's affection for the jug, carried the other 
medicines on our persons — Costler the quinine and I the 
salve — thus saving it in our retreat that fatal morning. 
One evening, after camping, a scout of the Oregon party 
rode in and reported a party of Indians camped about five 
miles ahead, about twenty in number; that having seen 
signs of the band he had followed on unobserved until he 
found them camped ; that they had evidently been there 
some time, as they had built huts. All were up in arms in. 
a few minutes, and ready to start for them. The women 
were as much excited as the men. But the captain put a 
stop to their haste; told them the better plan would be 
to v^ait till night and crawl carefulh^ out and bag the 
whole part3^ His plan was adopted, and guns were 
cleaned and ammunition looked after. It was arranged 
that some should remain with the women and children, 
and the rest to start about eleven o'clock, surround their 
camp, and at a signal rush in and surprise the ferocious 
native. Three of our party volunteered — there was no 
lack of volunteers, the trouble was, all wanted to go,, 
which would leave the home-guard too small. But the 
w^omen w^ere not afraid to remain alone ; they wanted the 
"red devils rubbed out," as the3^ expressed it. While the 
preparation w^as being made for the raid upon the Indian 
camp, an amusing little incident occurred . The captain had 
a little dumpy stub of a boy, some six or seven years old, 
about as thick as he was long, who came stubbing up to 
his father, saying: "Fader, fader, I want you to buy me 
a wj^flc." "What do you want a rifle for, my son?" said 
the father. "I want to shoot the Ingins," replied the pre- 



INDIANS SURPRISED AND SLAIN. 103 

cocious son and heir, emphasizing his answer with one of 
his father's most profane curses. "That's right, my son," 
said his father, "I'll buy you a rifle," and his eye beamed 
with fatherly pride. He was proud of his son's speech, 
and, doubtless, regarded him as a rising young Norval. I 
think if that boy had cut down all the cherry trees in 
Oregon, and then lied about it, the old man would have 
cheerfully gone his bail and carried up the case. If the 
biography of that father has ever been written and placed 
in the libraries of Oregon, it will probably be found that 
he was not a descendant of a Puritan family. 

It was midnight when we started, and half-past two 
when we arrived in sight of the Indian camp. Their fires 
were burning dimly. The captain ordered a halt, and 
then he crawled up a little nearer and reconnoitered. 
There were eighteen of our party. The captain returned, 
placed the men about equal distance apart around the 
camp, and ordered each to crawl silently to within about 
one hundred yards of the camp, and there lie perfectly 
quiet till a signal from him, when we should come down 
upon them. It was understood that the raid was to be 
made just at break of day, or when light enough to see 
that none escaped. Judging from the systematic manner 
in which he went about the work, I think it was not the 
first Indian camp he had surprised. I had lain full three- 
quarters of an hour when the signal was given by one 
most unearthly yell from the captain. The prime object 
thereof v^as to bring the redskins out of their tents. In an 
instant every man was on his feet, running and yelling at 
the top of his voice, and in less time than it takes to tell 



104 REFLECTIONS ON THE NECESSITIES. 

the stor}^ twenty-seven wild and ferocious Indians were 
changed into harmless spirits of the air, never more to 
take the war-path or surprise and slaughter a party of 
emigrants. 

Some may think it was a cruel and unmanly proceed- 
ing, but had those who think so been situated as we 
were — whose companions had been massacred before our 
eyes ; whose dead of a few days before still la}' naked and 
unburied in the canon, and those we hastih' buried ex- 
humed and stripped of their grave clothes; driven to the 
extreme verge of starvation ; saved from death onh^ by 
the mere chance of having fallen in with another party ; 
standing guard by night, and sending out scouts by day 
to look out for a ferocious enemy, as the man-eating tiger 
lurking near villages and isolated homes in Hindustan*-. 
watched for and hunted by the natives — I think, if 
happily they survived to return, it would be with modified 
views of the emigrants' dealings with the plundering and 
murderous tribes of the interior of the continent in the 
year of grace '49. 

Still, if anyone thinks otherwise, and believes that a free 
and roving tribe, uncontrolled by military force, can be 
humanized and civilized by any process known to civilized 
or Christianized man, I nevertheless would warn him not 
to risk his person among them. Powder, not prayer, is 
their onlycivilizer. You cannot manage him by reasoning 
with him and persuading him, as the wag said he con- 
trolled his vicious and cantankerous mule. Nothing will 
convert an Indian like convincing him that you are his 
superior, and there is but one process by which even that 



THE emigrant's ENEMY. 105 

can be done, and that is to shut oft' his wind. I never 
knew but one "truly good" Indian, and he was dead. I 
have heard considerable romance, from persons inexperi- 
enced, about the brave and noble red man, but I never yet 
have met one. All I have ever known have been cowardly 
and treacherous, never attack like men, but crawl upon 
you, three or four to one, and shoot you down, as they 
did sixteen of our party in the canon. Then why not at- 
tack them, not wait to be attacked by them, and then 
only in self-defense take, perhaps, one of their worthless 
lives? In all modern civilized warfare, to surprise the 
enemy and kill, if they do not surrender, is the climax of 
military renown. The world applauds, congress promotes, 
parliament does likewise, graciously voting the hero 
.^"Hihe hour, at the same time, a little hundred thousand 
pounds and a dukedom, and even bishops, priests and 
clergy offer prayers and incense to divine Providence for 
the delivery of their equally civilized and equally honor- 
able and patriotic enemy into their hands ! But if a party 
of emigrants surprise and annihilate a band of Indians, 
who, perhaps, only the day before had murdered every 
man, woman and child of a large train, and spattered the 
wagon wheels with the brains of babes, why, the Christian 
world holds up its hands in breathless horror. But what 
is the difference ? The Indian is the emigrant's enemy. If 
the emigrant gets the advantage, why should he not take 
it, for most surely the Indian will? I do not believe in 
w^anton cruelty to the Indian, but when you are in a coun- 
try'' where you know he is your enemy, and is not only 
■waiting his chance but looking out for his opportunity, 



106 HISTORICAL PARALLEL. 

why not cut him down, as otherwise he most surely will 
3^ou ? 

Nearly two hundred years ago the peaceful settlers of 
New England had a mournful experience with the local 
tribes of Indians, less ferocious, it is believed, than the 
tribes of the interior of the present day. The well known 
history of Mrs. Dustin of Haverill, Massachusetts, who, 
in 1697, was carried off with her infant, only a week old, 
and her nurse, is an impressive instance of savagery and 
the heroism and glorious triumph of a noble and dis- 
tressed woman. She was taken from her bed, half dressed, 
and, without shoes or stockings, exposed to the cold 
March winds. They took her northward by canoes, up 
the Merrimac to a point near Concord, New Hampshire. 
They had killed the babe at the outset. Here they rested 
for the night with an Indian family. Getting some intima- 
tion that they were soon to suffer shocking cruelty, Mrs.. 
Dustin resolved to attempt escape, and laid her plans with 
her nurse, Mary Nefif, and a boy prisoner, named Leonard- 
son. At midnight, when the savages were asleep, Mrs. 
Dustin, the nurse and boy killed the Indians, took off 
their scalps, scuttled all the canoes but one to prevent 
pursuit, and set off down the river for Haverill. They 
reached home with the scalps as evidence of their prowess,, 
and then found safet}^ in Boston. 

Happily now there is a little light in the east on the sub- 
ject of the justifiable treatment of the savage b}' the mod- 
ern emigrant, for, as recently as 1874, the humane and 
gentle descendants of the Pilgrims have delineated in im- 
perishable marble the thrilling story of Mrs. Dustin. A 



REJOICING IN CAMP. 107 

monument to her and her companions has been erected 
near the scene of the tragedy. On a pedestal, bearing 
appropriate inscriptions, is a statue of Mrs. Dustin, repre- 
sented as holding a tomahawk in her right hand and a 
bunch of scalps in the other. The arms are bare to the 
shoulders. The right hand is raised in the attitude of 
striking. The hair is loose and flowing, and the body is 
enclosed in graceful drapery. One of the inscriptions gives 
the names of the two women and the boy, as follows: 
"Hannah Dustin, Mary Neff, and Samuel Leonardson, 
March 30, 1697, Midnight." 

It may possibly be inferred from this digression touching 
the general traits of the Indian, that I am not an ardent 
admirer of the character, manners and customs of Mr. Lo. 
I confess I did intend so to be understood. 

When we returned to our camp, about six o'clock in the 
morning, all was excitement, and everyone w^anted to 
hear the news and its minutest particular, and each one 
had to relate it to another, as there was no w^ar corres- 
pondent in our party, nor a newspaper reporter on that 
night's battle-field. It was a day of general rejoicingin our 
camp, and of course no traveling, as we had been out all 
night and wanted sleep. The captain caught a cold which 
resulted in a jumping toothache, and he was raving and 
rearing mad. John See asked him why he did not have it 
pulled. "How can I have it pulled ?" said he. "Wehaveno 
doctor; besides, it is a double tooth." See told him w^e 
had a doctor in our party, and came to me, saying, 
"Charlie, I have a job foryou." " What isit ?" said I. "To 
pull thecaptain'stooth." "Why, "said I, "I never pulled a 



108 THE CAPTAIN HAS THE TOOTHACHE. 

tooth in my life." "It don't matter," said John, "you 
have got to pull his, for I told him you were a doctor and 
a first-rate hand at pulling teeth, so 3-ou have got to pull 
hisor make me outa liar." " Wh3^,"said I, "I might break 
his jaw." "Damn the odds," said he, "^'^ou've got to pull 
it, and, what is more, make him pay lor it." "What !''said 
I, "shall I charge five dollars?" "Five dollars be 
blanked," said John, "don't charge him less than twenty 
dollars." "He charges us a dollar a pound for his old 
musty flour, and surely an}'^ doctor w^ould charge twenty 
pounds of flour for pulling a tooth." Well, John per- 
suaded me to make the attempt. It so happened I had a 
pair of those old-fashioned "turnkeys "doctors formerly 
used, which were given me by m\^ brother, the doctor, in 
Illinois, when I started. They looked more like a "cant- 
hook" used for rolling logs in a saw-mill than like the 
instrument now used by dentists for extracting molars. 
Inashort time the captain came in great agony, holding 
his hand firmly against his jaw. "Doctor," said he, "I 
want 3'ou to pull a tooth for me." With the gravity of 
a bona fide M. D.,I said, "Let me look at it." I looked at 
it and pronounced it a very bad one, and advised him not 
to have it pulled. I knew he was in such agony he would 
have it out any w^a}', and my advice was onl}^ a profes- 
sional ruse, partly to impress his mind with the certain 
belief that he was in the hands of an experienced and 
prudent surgeon, but more especially for the reason that 
if, perchance, I should break his jaw, or carry away a 
portion of his head, I could plead to an action for mal- 
practice that he had been forewarned of the danger of the 



PULLING THE CAPTAIN's TOOTH. 109 

operation, but persisted therein against my advice. John 
was standing ofif a short distance, gesticulating for me to 
go ahead. So I got the captain seated on the ground, 
with his head between my knees, got out my lance (jack- 
knife) and commenced chopping and digging away around 
the gum of the tooth. The women all ran away as soon 
as I commenced to mutilate the patient's mouth with the 
lancet. John came forward as my student and assistant 
and handed me the turnkeys. I got them hooked on at 
last, but considerable time and not a little professional 
skill were expended in manipulating the ponderous hook 
and nicely attaching it to the throbbing tooth. I then 
straightened myself up into a position a little more dig- 
nified and gave the instrument a slight twist, just to be 
sure it was on firmly, which made him wince so that I 
began to lose courage and would willingly have given up 
the job, to the ruin of my professional standing, had I 
not just at that moment caught the eye of John, who gave 
an approving, nod and wink and whose facial expressions 
and gesticulations seemed to sa}^, " Courage, bov, out with 
it." I gave a final twist and jerk, and out flew the tooth 
and struck the ground a good two yards distant. The 
captain jumped up and discharged a few mouthfuls of 
blood, and assured me that he had never before in all his 
life had a tooth pulled so skillfully. I assured him in re- 
turn that in all my professional experience I had never 
encountered such a tenacious and resisting molar. He 
expressed great satisfaction, said he felt greatly relieved. 
So did I. He asked how much was the charge. I again 
assumed the typical professional air and gravity of coun- 




no 



THE "doctor's" fame AND PRACTICE. Ill 

tenance and said, twenty dollars. He handed me one of 
tiie very gold pieces we had given him for twenty pounds 
of musty flour, and handed it over freely, without haggle 
or complaint. Henceforth my reputation as a doctor 
was made. Every woman in the camp and train consulted 
me about her ever}^ ache and pain. The children too, they 
said, had been neglected; they had always lived so far 
away from a doctor, and now that they had one right 
among them, they were bound to make up for past neglect. 
My practice was now becoming large. My consulting 
hours when we were traveling were after supper. Besides, 
I had to compound many medicinal remedies. Fortu- 
nately for me, I was provided with a good stock of search- 
ing and raking pills that were sure to do their work. 
Then I had some calomel, but that I did not thoroughly 
understand, but administered it very prudently, and 
always followed it up by a dose of those never failing pills, 
so I lost not a patient from an overdose of calomel. As 
my practice was increasing rapidly, it stood me in hand 
to be careful lest my stockof medicines would runout; and 
as a preventive of such possibility, I used some of the 
ilour I had bought of the captain for a dollar a pound and 
prescribed it in some chronic cases at two dollars a pre- 
scription, exclusive of my professional charge for the visit. 
The quinine held out well and was useful and effective in 
malarial regions, and in cold and rainy weather. However, 
my practice was not wholly confined to medicine; my 
surgical skill as well was sought for. One Oregonian had 
a little lump growing on the side of his neck, a little 
larger than a good sized bean. I had seen my brother cut 



112 A "TUMOR." 

one out only a short time before I left, from the neck of a 
Norwegian. The man came to me. I pronounced it a 
growing tumor. That was enough ; the whole camp was 
talking about it. Of course I was asked how large it 
would grow, and how long it would be about it. I shook 
my head, and with slowness of speech and gravity of man- 
ner, said that would depend on how long the dangerous 
thing was suffered to remain before it was cut out — which 
it would have to be, sooner or later. He asked what I 
would charge to perform the operation. I said, fifty dol- 
lars. He concluded to have it done. So at the camping 
time he came, and I pinched the skin underneath the lump, 
slit the skin, and out popped the little hard bean. I dressed 
the wound, putting on some salve and telling him to keep 
it bound up and be careful about his diet, or it might 
cost him his life. That was a master stroke for me — a 
learned doctor with such a practice, a skillful surgeon, and 
only seventeen years old ! It was certainly unprecedented 
in the canons of the Sierra Nevada mountains. But my 
professional eminence must be credited not alone to the 
desperate emergencies of our situation, but largely, if not 
wholly, to John See as an advertiser. He blew my horn. 
Vive rhumbug! 



RISE IN PROVISIONS. 113 



CHAPTER IX. 

A Prospecting Party— Generosity— Lessen's Ranch— Parting with 
THE Oregonians— Near the Gold Fields— Sensations— Dinner in 
Camp— First Day's Digging — Mountain Fever — Mining Operations 
—Grizzly Bear — Lurking Indians— Finding Ohio Boys— Marys- 
ville — Yuba City — High Prices. 

WE had now been in the Oregon train about two 
weeks. One evening, a little before sundown, we 
discovered a party of seven coming down the mountain, 
all with pack mules, which we, of course, took to be emi- 
grants. Our party again getting reduced in flour and 
other provisions, I went to the captain for more. He 
asked what we were willing to pay. Costler spoke up 
and told him we were willing to pay a dollar a pound as. 
before. "No," the captain said, "I want one and a half,'^ 
for the party we saw coming were sure to be out of pro- 
visions, and that was what he should charge them, and he 
could not let us have it for less. That settled it. Costler 
was a high-tempered little fellow, and blustered consider- 
ably in his diplomacy, and told the captain he was not 
going to be robbed — he not considering that in my medical 
and surgical practice I had fleeced our good Oregon friends 
as much as they had robbed us in unconscionable charges. 
In fact, considering my professional income as medical 



114 PARTING WITH THE OREGONIANS. 

director of the train, I felt that flour at a dollar and a 
half a pound was moderate and reasonable. By this time 
the strangers had arrived, and proved to be prospectors 
who had been out on the west branch of the north fork 
of Feather river, and were now on their return, with 
plenty of provisions they did not need. When they were 
told the extortionary charges we had been and were neces- 
sitated to submit to, they offered us all they had, only 
reserving enough to carry them through to Sacramento. 
They told us we were only about fifty miles from Lessen's. 
It elevated our spirits higher than the top of the highest 
mountain to think that in three days more we would be 
there. We could hardly realize it, but so it was. Twenty- 
four had started only a few days before, and now only 
nine were alive, and one of them past all hopes of recovery 
— soon to be dead and buried. In three days more we 
arrived at Lessen's ranch on the Sacramento river, about 
one hundred and twenty-five miles above Sacramento city. 
The next morning we parted with our Oregon friends. I 
had a very pressing invitation to go with them and follow 
my profession, but I declined, telling them that I had come 
out to try my fortune in the gold fields, and if I failed in 
tliat, there would be time for me to turn again to my 
profession. The women thought it was a pity such a 
clever young doctor as I was should go digging. Before 
I left, the captain gave me fifty dollars for a bottle of 
quinine in solution — a pretty fair profit; but when one 
comes to look at it, there was not so much profit as there 
was on fifty pounds of flour at the prices charged. 
Costler, See and myself now started off for the nearest 



START FOR NEAREST DIGGINGS. 115 

gold diggings, which, we were told, were at Butte creek, 
about thirty-three miles distant. Our first day's travel 
was to Newell's ranch, twenty-five miles distant. Newell 
had crossed the plains with Fremont, in 1848, and had 
started a ranch there, and seemed to be in a fair wav of 
making a fortune. He was an Irish-American, and a 
first-rate fellow. We stopped with him over night, and he 
gave us a great deal of information. He said there were a 
few parties up the creek, eight miles away, on Recce's bar, 
and some of them were doing well. Others were cutting a 
channel to turn the creek so they could work the bed of 
the stream, anticipating fortunate results therefrom. 

Now we were within only eight miles of where men were 
actuall}^ getting gold. I am unable to express our mental 
sensations — exaltation of spirit for triumphs achieved, and 
expectancy on the verge of realization. For over a year 
visions of gold fields had fairly bewildered my youthful 
brain, and now here was I, right where, in twenty-f^ur 
hours, I would see men digging out the golden nuggets and 
sifting the precious sands in the beds of ancient rivers. I 
did not sleep that night nor did my two companions. We 
talked and planned and built castles in the air all night. 
But, alas! many of those fine castles were doomed to fall to 
the ground. In the morning we sold our horses to Newell 
for seventy-five dollars a head — two ponies and the horse 
I bought of the Crow Indians for a pint of well watered 
brandy and a pint of sugar. In return we bought of him 
a ham, at a dollar a pound, ten pounds of sugar, tw^enty 
pounds of flour, ten pounds of jerked beef, some coffee, one 
pick, at eight dollars, and one shovel at the same price, a 



116 FIRST SOUND OF THE PICKS. 

tin-pan at six dollars, and two pair of blankets at six- 
teen dollars a pair. When we got the stuff packed we 
found we had more than we could carry, though man}- 
times since I have carried more myself alone. But we 
were weak and worn out, so we thought we would tr^v to 
buy Billey back. But no, he would not sell him, but offered 
to lend him to us to take our things up, telHng us we 
would soon want more stuff, and that w^e need not be in 
a hurry to return him, that if we stopped with him we 
could always have a horse to take our provisions to the 
mines. 

We started at last, thinking Newell was the best fellow 
we ever met, and I never had any occasion to think other- 
wise. It was about seven o'clock in the morning. Our 
hearts were full of hopes and fond expectations. We 
traveled up the creek about four miles, and had just 
entered where the stream commenced to canon the banks, 
which were so thick with a growth of scrub w^ e could 
hardly see through to the steam, when we heard men talk- 
ing, stones rattling, and the sound of the picks. We list- 
ened, and at length ventured into the scrub, and looking 
through saw four men working, talking and laughing. 
We stood for some minutes with beating hearts. We 
had at last seen with our own eyes what we had so 
long w^ished for, and for which we had crossed the 
continent. Men actually digging for gold. We stood and 
conversed in whispers. Finally we mustered up courage 
and went through the scrubs to them, when they saluted 
us with, "Good da}^ captains, where from?" We told 
them we had arrived from across the plains only the 



FIRST WORK — WING-DAM. 117 

■day before, and had never seen any gold fields. They at 
once invited us to their camp, which was on the opposite 
side of the creek from where otir pony was, one man going 
with John See to show him a crossing, Martin Costler 
and myself going with the other three to the camp. Din- 
ner was soon on the way. We had to give them all the 
news and a full account of our journey, which they list- 
ened to with the greatest interest. They had come around 
the Horn. There was no work for them that afternoon. 
The^^ would not hear of our going an^' farther that day, 
and would not allow us to cook any of our provisions. 
That night they told us they were prospecting the creek 
by putting in what they called a \ving-dam, and if we liked 
we could go to work with them and all share alike. 

We accepted their proposition and the next morning 
went to work putting in the wing-dam, which is con- 
structed b}^ building a wall of stone diagonally about half 
way across the stream, then fill in with earth to dam the 
w^ater back and throw the current to the opposite side, 
then, in like manner, down the stream. When this is ac- 
complished, the river bed within the enclosure is accessible 
from the surface to the bed-rock. The dirt is then tried 
from top to bottom with a tin pan, or gold dish, as it is 
called among miners. Sometimes gold is obtained all 
through the dirt, but generally the richest is found at the 
bottom. Well, we worked two days a-nd sunk a hole to 
the bed-rock without obtaining satisfactory results — that 
is, so the parties we were working with said. Our spirits 
went down about ten degrees below zero, and we made up 
our minds to quit and go farther up the stream to a place 



118 THE MYSTERIOUS CRADLE. 

called Recce's Bar. The}-^ told us we must not get discour- 
aged at not dropping on it at once ; that we might have 
to tr}' without success for a long time, especially as we 
were beginners; that gold-digging was a trade that one 
had to learn the same as any other, but that if we went 
to Recce's Bar we were sure to get gold there in the side of 
the hill, but that we could do nothing without a cradle. 
What we wanted a cradle for was more than any of us 
could tell — we had no children to rock. But, however, we 
started the next morning, rather down in the mouch, 
especially Costler, though John seemed to take it a little 
better. It was four miles up the creek, and on rather a 
rough road. Some twenty or thirty men w^ere working 
there, and had cut a race, blasted the rock, dug out a new 
channel for the creek, built a dam across the stream and 
turned it into the race or new channel to enable them to 
work the original bottom of the stream. 

We found the men here equally as hospitable and friendly 
as the party below. Dinner we must have with them, and 
no excuse was admissible. After dinner one of them 
showed us where we could set in and make wages. It 
w^as in the side of a hill, digging up the surface, grass, roots 
and all, and carrying it on our backs some fifty or more 
yards to the stream to wash. He showed us how to wash 
in a tin dish, but told us we would have to have acradle — 
there, again, came up that m^'sterious and to us useless 
cradle. I told him I did not need a cradle ; that I was an 
unmarried man of reputable character and, therefore, 
could not be the father of children; that I had not even 
been courting any young lady in the east. He laughed 



CRADLE DESCRIBED. 119 

heartily at my simplicity and explained to us the form 
and use of what the miners call a cradle or rocker. It is a 
box about three feet and a half long, the bottom about 
sixteen inches wide, its sides about the same in height, the 
upper half having a strip or riffle across the bottom about 
an inch thick, and one on the lower end. The top has a 
hopper about sixteen inches square, with a sheet iron 
screen full of holes punched about an inch apart and 
about half an inch in diameter. Underneath the hopper 
is a canvas apron fixed on a slide set so as to pitch back 
to the upper side or back end of the cradle, at an angle of 
about fifteen degrees. Underneath the cradle are attached 
two rockers, like a child's cradle, with two little iron spikes, 
and also a strip with two holes in the centre for the 
spikes, and on the back end is a handle to rock the cradle. 
It is set on an incline, towards the tail or lower end, of 
about half an inch to the foot — now you are ready for 
rocking out the gold. The process is to put into the 
hopper about half a bucket of dirt, having a dipper 
holding a quart of water, commence rocking the cradle 
steadily, at the same time pouring in the water regularly 
so as to have a steady stream running off. One has to 
learn to do three things at once — rock, dip and pour — which 
is difficult at first to do, as all boys know who have exper- 
imented on only two simultaneous acts — scratching the 
head with one hand and spatting the chest with the other. 
Our new friend told us he had a cradle he was not using, 
which he would lend us until he wanted to use it himself, 
which was very kind in him, especially as one was worth 
about forty dollars. He brought it and set it for us, 



120 SUCCESSFUL PANNING OUT. 

panned out two or three dishes of dirt, told us we had a 
first-rate prospect, and then had me try my hand. I made 
a very poor hand at it. I found I could not even do two 
things at once — could not rock and dip at the same time. 
The others then tried it, but did no better, and perhaps not 
•quite so well as I did ; so I was tolled off to rock the 
•cradle. See carried down the dirt in a fifty pound flour 
sack, and Costler dug up the surface and picked out 
the coarse stones. When our friend got us to work all 
right he left, telling us to call him when we wanted to 
clean out the rocker. We commenced work at half past 
two o'clock, but in two hours Costler gave out — he could 
stand it no longer — and as for myself, if he had not stopped 
as he did, I should have ceased rocking, for I was completely 
plaj^ed out. We called our new friend, who came and 
cleaned up for us, we, all the while, looking on with the 
greatest anxiety. W^hen he got it panned down my spirits' 
dropped ; still he kept panning out the gand until I 
thought he was going to pan it all away. At last he got 
through, and there looked to me to be a ver}'^ small 
amount of precious settlings for so much work. He told 
■us that it was first-rate; that if he had thought that it 
"had been any where near so good he would have worked 
it himself That rather frightened us; perhaps he would 
take the cradle away from us. However, he took the little 
results of our rockings down to his camp, dried it, and 
put it into a blower to blow out the sand. Now I was 
sure it Avas all gone, for he kept blowing and shaking and 
blowing again, until I thought the last particle was bound 
to go. He then poured it into his gold scales and weighed 



MOUNTAIN FEVER. 121 

it. Judge of our surprise when he told us that there were 
just two ounces, two and a half pennyweights, or thirty- 
five dollars worth. We could hardly believe him, and yet 
felt that our fortunes were secured. See wanted to go to 
work again that afternoon, but poor Costler was too 
much worn out, and I was not much better. The next day 
we were at it bright and early, but we all fagged and often 
had to stop and rest, and by the middle of the afternoon 
we shut down. Our friend showed us how to clean out the 
cradle every hour and leave the dirt in the dish, and at 
noon came and panned it off for us. That day we had 
five ounces and five pennyweights, or eighty-four dollars. 

The next morning Costler was as crazy as a loon — the 
mountain fever had attacked him. What to do we did not 
know. I had medicine, but when it came to practicing on 
a friend that was really sick, it was a different thing from 
practicing on my Oregon patients who needed not a physi- 
cian. But the poor fellow had to have something, and so 
I tried to do the best I could. I began by giving a whop- 
pingdose of calomel, followed up by as large a dose of pills; 
then quinine came in, but nothing seemed to quiet his brain 
or check his fever. He raved and talked all sorts of non- 
sense — sometimes he was fighting Indians, and one of us 
had to stop with him constantly. I kept repeating my 
routine of prescriptions, not knowing whether I was doing 
right or wrong. After six days I could stand it no longer, 
and having been told that there was a doctor about ten 
miles away, I left See with him and went to see the doctor, 
found him, stated the case and what I had done. He 
listened to me in profound silence and with closed eyes, as 



122 costler's sickness. 

though he was taking a mental review of all the cases in- 
the books from Esculapius or Galen down to that hour. 
Finallx' he opened his eyes, coughed, cleared his throat, 
and with a grave and sedate countenance told me that 
the course of treatment I had pursued was the correct 
one, that in his opinion it was a very stubborn and doubt- 
ful case; that if he went to see him his charge would be 
one hundred; dollars that he was just as well satisfied 
with my diagnosis as if he had seen the patient; that he 
should treat him the same as I had. Tasked him his fee for 
the consultation. He said, "O, nothing at all, perhaps he 
should sometimes have a stubijjorn case and need mycoun- 
sel." That settled it with me; I knew then he was an impos- 
tor. I then went to the store there and bought a bottle of 
brandy for which I paid sixteen dollars, and then started 
back as fast as Billey could carry me, and I did not get 
back any too soon. Costler's fever had broken and he 
had a sinking spell. We both thought he was going to 
die, and very soon. I thought to try the brandy and got 
some, mixed with water, down him, when he revived, and 
one of us staid with him all the time, never leaving 
him, ever}' now and then giving him a spoonful of the 
brandy and water, and quinine in grain doses every three 
hours. The men on the bar were very kind and sat up 
with him nights, and were willing to do anything for him. 
At last he began to recover, so that I could leave him. I 
now began to feel uneasy about keeping Billey so long, 
and went down to Ne well's to apologize and explain. He 
said he had heard that there was a man on the bar that 
could not live, but that he had one of the cleverest young 



MEDICAL TREATMENT. 123 

doctors attending him. Upon my inquiry as to who told 
him, he said it was Dr. BHss from the Springs, the same 
old humbug I had been to see. I bought Billey back for 
one hundred dollars, twenty-five more than I sold him 
for. I found we must have a horse and that Billey would 
suit us better than any other we could get. I bought 
more provisions and returned. See was working away, 
but Costler was nowhere to be found. I called to See to 
know what had become of him. He told me he had just 
left him, that he worked a little while and then went to 
see if he wanted anything, and then returned to work 
again. We looked everywhere and called for him, but 
no answer, when we began to think he had crawled to the 
dam and had fallen in. There was a deep gorge close by 
and a spring of ice-cold water in it, and as one of us was 
running past it a noise was heard, and looking around, 
there lay Costler b\^ the spring, with nothing on but his 
shirt, stickinghis head in the water and then shaking it like 
a Newfoundland dog. We carried him back ; he had become 
so emaciated that one could carry him like a child. He had 
got a relapse and was as bad as ever. I gave up all hopes 
of saving him, but was determined to try. I treated 
much as before, only in smaller doses. I got some arrow- 
root at Newell's, but he would not take it, accused us of 
trying to poison him, called us everything that was bad, 
and, although a very religious man, swore at us like a 
pirate. We had an awfully trying time with him; but at 
last he began to recover, and after about three weeks got 
so we could leave him and both go to work. We still con- 
tinued to do pretty well at the cradle, and had we been 



124 costler's departure. 

able to do a full day's work, we would have made from 
forty to fifty dollars a day. Soon Costler got so he could 
get around, but he was so cross that he was very disa- 
greeable. He got it into his head that we must get out 
of that place. See and I opposed it, but that did not 
satisfy him, go we should ; and finally, to gratify his whim 
we consented to go across to Feather river, a distance of 
about thirty-five miles; packed up Billey, offered to pay 
for the use of the cradle, thanked the party for their kind- 
ness, and departed for the main fork of the Feather river. 
Costler was not equal to the journey, and before we had 
gone four miles we had to load him onto the horse. He 
rode ten miles to the Springs, where I had consulted 
the doctor, and there w^e had to lay over for him three 
day!5, and at last reached Long's Bar. See and I pros- 
pected around for three or four days and thought we 
would set in on Morris' ravine, about a mile and a half 
distant. Costler went over with us; but no, that place 
did not suit him, and he wasn't going to stop there. To 
be sure it was not so good as the place we had left, but 
it was better to stop there than to be running around. 
No, he wanted to go to Sacramento and us to go with 
him. See, I think, would have gone if I had not told him 
I had lost time enough in running around and did not 
intend to lose any more, he could do as he liked. Costler 
was a carpenter by trade, and knew, he said, he could 
make more monc}' down there than he could digging, so 
we told him to go, and we sold Bille}' for one hundred iind 
fifty dollars, divided up every dollar we had made, and he 
left us. I never saw him again for two j'cars, when I 



SEE RETURNS HOME. 125 

met him in Nevada City. He told me he had been on the 
run from one place to another ever since. 

After Costler left us, See and I continued to work on 
Morris' ravine with varied success. The gold was nug- 
gety — some days we would get nothing — then the sinking 
was some six or seven feet. To strip a "paddock," as it is 
called (a hole), one would dig down seven or eight feet, 
and, perhaps, get nothing; then again one might get three 
or four nuggets running in weight from one to four 
ounces, and some small or fine gold. In Morris' ravine 
one depended wholly upon the nuggets he might get. We 
v^orked there some time when See got suddenly homesick, 
and go home he must and did. He would have about one 
thousand dollars when he got back — that was all he 
wanted, he said — that would finish up paying for his farm. 
He had a wife and one child, and he could make a living 
for them when he had his farm paid for, and he departed. 
That left me alone, and lonesome enough I was. One 
night I went over to Long's Bar for some groceries and 
meat, for there was a regular butcher's shambles. The 
butcher's name was Jerre Armstrong, from near Morris, 
Illinois, and he persuaded me to come to the bar and try 
my luck in a wing-dam. He offered me a half share. I 
thought it a good offer, so did all that I talked with, and 
so I came. Board was twenty-one dollars a week, and I 
went to work on Long's Bar wing-dam. The third day a 
man came along and hired out for sixteen dollars a day. 
No one knew who he was or where he came from. He 
was carrying over stone with me, with a hand-barrow, 
and just as he had discharged his load he stepped on a 



126 LOSS BY FLOOD. 

stone that turned, and he fell into the stream. The current 
was swift and it carried him down until he struck the 
eddy, when he suddenly turned over, threw up his hands 
and sank, and that was the last ever seen of him. So it 
has been with hundreds of men who have gone to Califor- 
nia, met with some accident, and, being unknown, their 
friends could not be written to; they died among stran- 
gers and were soon forgotten. 

When we had worked about four weeks on the dam, and 
had got nearly ready to rock the golden dirt, a flood came, 
as disastrous to our hopes as Noah's was to the ancient 
world, and swept everythmg away. I made up my mind 
that would be the last wing-dam, or any other kind of 
dam, that I would invest in in California. At that time 
there was a craze for river damming. There was one just 
below Long's, and another, the White Rock company's, 
where the dam and cutting, to turn the river, cost over a 
hundred thousand dollars that season, and they did not 
even get into the river. Besides, at every turn or bend in 
the stream, there was a company wing-damming. In my 
opinion, there was not one dollar got out of the river 
where ten dollars were put in. There was a good class of 
people there — that is, the majority, for there are always 
exceptions, and Long's Bar was not without its excep- 
tions. On the other side of the river from Long's, lived a 
Mr. Adams and his wife, from Quincy, Illinois. I shall never 
forget that lady; she was like a sister to me. I was 
young, and she knew the temptations that were placed in 
the way of a boy of my age, thrown in among gamblers, 
inexperienced, and no one to advise him, so she took it 



A grizzly's sudden appearance. 127 

■upon herself to do so, and ver}^ thankful am I for it. She 
was the only woman on that side of the river, and I think 
there were none on the other side. The two Armstrong 
brothers were engaged in the butchering business. They 
were like brothers to me for the short time 1 was there. 
The following circumstance occurred while I was there : 

The Armstrongs used to bring up cattle from the Sacra- 
mento flat in droves of a dozen or twent\^ at a time, and 
herd them down by a little bend in the river that was per- 
fectly hemmed in by high clifts of rocks, so it was impossi- 
ble for them to get out except b}'^ the way they were 
brought in. The inclosure embraced about ten acres. One 
Sunday afternoon Jerre Armstrong took his minie rifle on 
his shoulder and a pail of salt, and went down to salt his 
cattle. After about two hours he returned and lay down 
on his bunk. He looked very pale and I asked him if he was 
sick. "No,"said he, " whydo youask?" I told him that he 
was as white as a ghost, and he was all of a shake. He 
said he had been nearly frightened to death. Said he went 
dowm to count the cattle and salt them, and then started 
for home, and as he was walking towards the entrance of 
the inclosure, he heard something walking behind him. He 
paid no attention to it, when suddenly he felt a terrible blow 
on the shoulder, that knocked him forward three or four 
feet, and a terrible growl. Looking back over his shoulder 
there was a grizzly bear making for him with mouth wide 
open. He said he believed he let out one of the most 
unearthly yells that ever came from a human being, at 
the same moment givmg a backhanded blow with his rifle 
-which struck the bear full in the mouth ; then ran to the 



128 MISSING HORSES. 

top of a hill, about ten yards distant, and fell. As he fell 
he turned to look for the bear, expecting the next instant to 
be chewed into mincemeat. To his surprise and joy the 
bear was down on the bottom and making the best of 
leg-bail in his power. I examined his rifle, and there were 
the prints and scratches on the barrel where it had come in 
contact with the grizzly's teeth. It was an exciting theme 
of talk in the neighborhood for many a day. The grizzly 
is as great a terror in California as the tiger is in Hindu- 
stan. 

Rich Bar, on the west branch of the north fork of 
Feather river, just to the east of where we fell in with the 
Oregon party, was the location of the prospecting party, 
before mentioned, that gave us their surplus of provisions. 
There had been some very rich findings, and many were 
going there. Armstrong brothers w^anted me to go, as 
one of them was going while the other remained to 
manage their business. They had plenty of horses, so I 
agreed to go with Isaiah, the younger of the brothers, and 
another young fellow, Horace King, from Illinois. We 
started in company with three more, for it was reported 
that the Indians were troublesome and it was not safe to 
go in small parties. Nelson's creek was the first stream to 
cross. We camped one night in the mountains above the 
north fork, on a piece of marshy ground, where there were 
patches of scrub. In the morning our horses were gone. 
King and I went out in search of them. After a little we 
separated and took different routes. Not long after, I 
struck the trail of the horses making down towards the 
camp. I was crossing over a sandy place, when all at 



ANOTHER DEAD INDIAN. 129 

once I heard something "zit" past, close to my head. Soon 
another "zit." I did not have to think twice to make up 
my mind what it was. As it is sometimes expressed, I did 
not run, but I did some pretty tall walking. I did not 
look back, but before I reached a little rise of ground, or 
spur of a hill, five of those "zits" had sounded at regular 
intervals in my ear. As I reached the rise, which was not 
more than thirty yards, I saw a large bowlder that had 
rolled down from a higher level. I jumped to the top of it 
and suddenly turned around just in time to see nothing but 
a bunch of long grass move a little. I up gun and fired 
into the centre of the bunch, and left for camp. The boys 
had heard my shooting, and inquired what I had been 
shooting at. I told them a bunch of grass. "Did I kill 
it?" I said I did not go to look. We talked about that 
bunch of grass until there seemed to be a mysterious fas- 
cination in the subject, and all had a desire to inspect it a 
little closer, so we all went together, taking, of course, our 
guns with us. Arriving at the spot we were all surprised 
to find an Indian stretched out at full length, fast asleep, as 
we supposed, but on closer inspection we found he had a 
little bullet hole through him, just tmder his armpits. He 
was taking his last sleep. 

We went on up to Rich Bar and found many digging 
there. It was all crevicing, that is, working the crevices 
in the rocks. Some had made an immense pile in a few 
weeks. I met the party there who had given us the pro- 
visions while we were with the Oregon party. They had 
all done well. There were no claims, but every man 
started out in the morning with his crowbar, iron spoon 



130 THE FLEETNESS OF THE MIND. 

and tin dish, and looked for a crevice to work out. Some 
of them had many pounds of gold. One man obtained 
as much as a pint cup full in one day, which I had observa- 
tion of myself. We staid there two or three weeks and 
prospected around in different canons withalittle success; 
but on the whole it was not a paying trip, and we soon 
got tired. Armstrong wanted to go back to Long's Bar 
to his butchering business, and the rest of us were quite 
willing to. So we departed, stopping on our way back 
to prospect on Nelson's creek for a week, but met with 
nothing encouraging. We never went out w^ithout our 
guns or revolvers, as we were liable at any moment to 
meet the infernal redskins. One day I was out looking 
for the horses and came across some acorns, the largest 
I ever saw, and gathered a few as a specimen to show^ the 
boys in camp. As I had them in hand, intently looking at 
them, I was wholly oblivious of anyone near me, but as 
I raised my eyes to start, I saw two Indians directl}' fac- 
ing me, within forty feet, with their bows drawn and the 
arrows just ready to fly. Selkirk was inspired by loneli- 
ness when he was supposed to have said : 

" How fleet is a glance of the mind ! 
Compared with the speed of its flight 
The tempest itself lags behind, 
And the swift winged arrows of light. 
When I think of my own native land, 
In a moment I seem to be there ; 
But alas! recollection at hand 
Soon hurries me back to despair." 

Never, until that moment, did I appreciate those lines. 



FINDS AN OHIO BOY. 131 

I thought of my mother, my home, every act of my 
childhood ; everything I had done in my life up to that 
moment, flashed across my mind in rapidly successive 
installments. Instinctively and without reflection, caused 
by the startling realities of the moment, as I now suppose, 
I flirted, rather than threw, the acorns in their faces. 
That act was a surprise to them and caused them to wince, 
and their arrows, which were sent at the same instant, to 
miss their mark. Now was my opportunity, and I availed 
myself of it. Before they could put their hand over their 
shoulder and draw another arrow from the quiver, I had 
my revolver, and in an instant there were two more red- 
skins ready for the tan-yard, but whose hides where too 
badly damaged to command full price. 

Our Nelson creek prospecting proved as unprofitable as 
our Rich Bar had, so we came to the conclusion to return 
to Long's Bar again. Shortly after our arrival, being in 
Adams' store one evening, I met a newly arrived party, 
one of whom, after eyeing me for a time, asked me if I did 
not know him? I could not recognize him. He said he 
was Charlie Young, from Young's mill, Farmington, Ohio. 
For the moment I was so confused that I could remember 
nothing, although I knew him well. When my senses 
came back to me I felt exceeding delight, for he was the 
first person I had yet seen since I left home whom I had 
known before. He told me his father and John Proctor, 
another Farmington boy, were up on Middle Fork, four 
miles above Burwell's Bar, twelve miles from where we 
then were, and the next day I went up to see them. Bur- 
well's Bar was on the main Feather river, eight miles 



132 FINDS PROCTOR AND YOUNG. 

above Long's Bar. Two miles above Burwell's the river 
forked, one branch forming the South, the other the Middle 
fork of the Feather river. Up the Middle two miles is, or 
was, Miller's Bar, and here I found Elisha Young and John 
Proctor, two old Farmington acquaintances from my 
early childhood. It is needless to say that this meeting, 
in that far-distant, uncivilized, rocky, craggy region of 
the Sierra Nevada mountains, was mutually joyous. One 
who has been there and been fortunate enough to meet 
one of his early friends or acquaintances can appreciate 
such a meeting. I say fortunate enough, for it is one of 
the best events in a young man's life, so situated, who has 
an}' pride and self-respect, to meet, occasionally, with early 
companions, and especially those from home. It has a 
tendency to keep him steady, for nothing is more dreaded 
by a young man than to have a report go back to his 
early friends and childhood home that he has gone to the 
bad. I have known many that had become reckless and 
had gone down, brought back by falling in with one of the 
companions of his youth, when that one was of the right 
kind ; otherwise they both go down, cursing their luck, as 
all miners choose to call their misfortunes or ill success^ 
when ninety-nine times in a hundred it is their own fault- 
Young and Proctor were working on Miller's Bar, wash- 
ing the sand that had been thrown up among the 
bowlders, and making good wages. The}' proposed that 
I should go to work with them, which I did, but after all 
they were disinclined to remain there, and were constantly 
talking of what could be done in Marysville, in the milk 
business. They wanted to go down there and buy cows 



MILK BUSINESS— "millions IN IT." 133 

and sell milk, and at last they got me equally interested in 
their scheme. We finally sent Proctor down to see what 
could be done, and Young and I suspended work till his 
return having become too thoroughly enthused in the milk 
project to even dig gold. After a week he returned, and 
great was the account he gave us of what could be done in 
milk, in Marysville. Like Colonel Seller's eye-water, there 
was "millions in it." So off to Marysville, about forty 
miles distant, w^e w^ent. As I had some things at Long's 
Bar, it w^as arranged for me to go down that way, while 
thev w^ould go the more direct route. But when I got 
back to Long's Bar, Mr. Adams and his wife, whom I 
have alreadv mentioned, endeavored to persuade me out 
of the milk business, offering me two hundred dollars a 
month to work for them. They w^ere running a store at 
the Bar, and her brother had a four-horse team on the 
road, between there and Sacramento. The\^ would put 
on another team for me to drive. They were so solicitous 
for my welfare and so generous in their proposals that I 
partly, or rather conditionally, promised to accept. The 
brother had that morning started for Sacramento, and 
was to stop at a ranch a day, and I was to start at once 
and overtake him. We w^ere to buy the team in Sacra- 
mento and I was to drive it back, if, after I had seen 
Young and Proctor, they w^ould let me off. I over- 
took the brother, who was also anxious for me to go 
right on with him, but I felt imder obligations of honor to 
see Young and Proctor first, and, therefore, I went on to 
Marysville and found them. They had arrived there 
before me, and I found Young already dissatisfied. He 



134 OLD NEIGHBORS — MARYSVILLE. 

claimed that Proctor's imagination was too brilliant, and 
his colors too gaudy for a rural picture of cows, cans and 
milkmaids. The end of the milk business. Young wanted 
me to return with him to Miller's Bar. While I was now 
in aquandar^^as to whether I ought to go back to the Bar 
with Young or go on to Sacramento in the teaming enter- 
prise, a circumstance occurred that changed all my pre- 
vious plans, and probably all my after life. 

Before I left Farmington, Ohio, a party from that town 
and vicinity had left for California, among whom were 
Shurben H. Loveland, Lyman Wolcott, James Holly, 
Benj. Johnston, John Moore and Daniel Powell, all of 
whom I had known from my childhood. James Holly was 
my cousin. I met a man from Nevada City who knew the 
party and told me some had died ; that Holly and John- 
ston had died and Moore had returned home; that the 
rest were in Nevada City and he could direct me right to 
their cabin. That was enough ; nothing less than a double- 
locked prison would have been able to hold me from going 
at once to the boys. 

But before taking the reader to Nevada City, it may be 
of interest to say something of theMarysville of that day. 
Those who have known it in later years can judge some- 
what of the change which time has wrought between 1850 
and 1887. When I first arrived there, it probably con- 
tained about twenty-five hundred inhabitants. Nearly all 
the buildings were frames, covered either with canvas or 
paling split out of pine, six feet long, and nailed on like 
clapboards, with generally a rather gaudy looking front, 
covered with a flashy sign, especially the gambling houses, 



GAMBLING. 135 

such as the Montezuma, Eldorado, Magnolia and other 
similar names. All these houses were equipped with a 
drinking bar running the entire length of the building, 
where the frequenters of the house could always procure 
refreshments for the inner luan in the shape ot cocktails, 
sangarees, mint-juleps, sherrj^ -cobblers, in fact, every pos- 
sible concoction that the mind of man could devise to ex- 
tract money from the miner when he came down from the 
mines with his nuggets and bags of dust, and who, in 
almost every instance, spent his money like a prince, or 
rather like a fool. At the farthest end of the room one 
would observe a platform or stage for a band of musicians 
or singers, the performers varying in number according 
to the business of the house. In front of the bar and 
all through the room were tables from four to six feet 
long; on each side was seated a man, and in the centre 
was a pile of silver dollars and gold coin, principally 
doubloons, a Spanish coin equal to sixteen of our dollars. 
At other tables were roulettes, ABC games, in fact every 
thing that could induce the miner to spend his money. 
The early history of gambling in the gold regions of the 
west is not the most edifying reading; besides, it is too long, 
and the story and the narrator are often deemed alike 
incredible. I venture, however, to relate a single instance 
which fell under my own observation : Two miners came 
down from Rich's Bar, on Feather river, on their way 
home to the states, with $14,000 between them, and, stop- 
ping at Marysville over night, of cour.se visited one of the 
gambling houses, made at first some small investments in 
the "bank," which at first seemed profitable, and soon got 



136 A BOY BUCKS THE TIGER. 

warmed up to make larger investments and take greater 
risks, and the result was, the next morning the}"- found 
their last dollar gambled awa}', when they returned to the 
mines dead broke. I ought perhaps to balance the fore- 
going instance by relating another a little more cheering, 
on account of the tender age of one who boldly "bucked 
the tiger." A butcher there had a little brother about 
twelve years old, who went into a gambling hoiise one 
evening ^vith eight dollars, and at midnight he went home 
with $2,400. The brother took it from him and laid it 
safely away. The next day the boy was begging of his 
brother to let him go back and try his luck again, but he 
would not let him go till evening, when he gave him eight 
dollars more and let him start out. He returned with $800 
more, when his brother took it as before and promised to 
keep it safe for him and invest it so that he would have it 
with interest when he should become of age, and then told 
him if he ever went into a gamblinghouse again to gamble, 
he would put him aboard the next ship that sailed and 
send him home. There was but little commercial business 
done in Marysville, except a little packing for the upper ^ 
Feather river. Most of the trade went to Sacramento. 
Towns were springing up like mushrooms. Yuba Cit}^ was 
already noted, but for not much more then than for its 
gambling houses. 

One day, while walking through the market of Marys- 
ville, I saw some pears for sale. I had seen no fruit yet in 
the country. All my boyish appetite was aroused. I took 
one and ate it and was about to take another, when it oc- 



PEACHES AND ONIONS. 



137 



-curred to me to ask how much they were apiece, at the 
same time pulling out a silver dollar to pay for the two. 
It somewhat jogged the intellect when in a modest and 
innocent way I was told that they were only $2.50 apiece. 
I suddenly discovered that the one I had already eaten was 
sufficient for me at that time. I paid for it and walked on 
to meet a vender of onions, who told me that he was dis- 
posing of his vegetables for the remarkably low price of 
■ $3 a pound. I purchased of him one good large onion for 
$2, and ate it raw, and thought I had never before tasted 
anything half so delicious. Up to this time there had been 
no fruit imported into the country, except dried apples and 
peaches, which were to be had atone dollar a pound ; dried 
Chili beans at the same price ; pickled peaches at $16 a gal- 
lon; jar onions and cucumbers and other like pickles at 
$8 per half gallon jars. So it is manifest that one had to 
make something to live; yet scarcely anyone ever stinted 
himself even at the above prices-. Board was $21 a week 
at the most common boarding-houses. The food was 
mostly pork and beans, plenty of bread and beef, the lat- 
ter the cheapest article of food in the country; dried apple 
sauce, tea and coffee, and all this ample bill of fare for $21 
a week, or for $1.50 per meal. Such w^as the case wherever 
I went, up to the summer of 1851, when garden vegetables 
began to be raised plentifully. I remember paying one dol- 
lar a pound for potatoes. We could not afford ourselves 
the luxury of eating them boiled, but used to slice them up 
like cucumbers, with vinegar. This was not for the love 
of them in this style, but as a preventive of scurvy. 



138 POTATOES A PRIZE. 

When potatoes got down to $30 a hundred pounds, my- 
self and another bought each a hundred pounds, and 
carried them on our backs three miles, thinking we had a 
great prize. 



GOING TO SEE THE BOYS. 139 



CHAPTER X. 

Nevada City — Wood's Ravine — Ohio Boys — Miners' Generosity — 
Gamblers and Gambling —Judge Lynch's Court — Ohio Party 
Rescued— Rough and Ready— Mrs. Phelps and Her Pies — First 
Woman in Nevada City — Church Bazaar Post-office — The 
Scales— First Newspaper — Deference to Woman. 

I WAS now determined to see the Ohio boys at Nevada 
City, as it was then thus early called, about thirty-five 
miles from Marysville, up in the Sierra Nevada mountains. 
I struck out one morning as soon as daylight and fol- 
lowed up the Yuba river for some miles, passing through 
a place called Long Bar. It was more than a mile long. 
The river was then very low, for the snow had all melted 
and it was the miners' harvest. I was asked more than 
twenty times if I wanted to hire out, the wages offered 
being sixteen dollars a day. But as I had set my heart 
on finding the boys from my old neighborhood in Farm- 
ington, Ohio, sixteen dollars a day had no tempting 
charms for me. It is utterh'- impossible for me to describe 
the feelings of anxiet}^ to see them. I had been a boy 
always living in a countrj' town, had never been among 
strangers till leaving home, and had seen none since but 
strangers; but now that I was about to mingle among 
my early childhood companions, it seemed to me I could 



140 MUTUAL GREETINGS. 

not control my impatience to get to them. But time 
brings an end to everything, and so it did to my journey 
from Marj'^sville to Nevada City. 

I made Wood's Ravine, on the west side of Nevada City, 
about four o'clock the same day. My informant had 
directed me so correctly and minutely that I was enabled 
to go to their cabin without difficult}^ or even inquiry. 
I rapped at the door. 0, how my heart beat with anxiety 
for fear that the man had misinformed me, for somehow 
I had forebodings that he w*as mistaken as to the party, 
and wdien a stranger came to the door my heart sank in 
agonv. I told him I had made a mistake, I thought. 
That I had been informed that a part}' lived there of the 
name of Loveland, Powell and Wolcott. And now how 
m}^ heart leapedwith joy when I heard a voice from within 
say, "Yes, Cha'rlie, we are all here, come in." That voice 
was Lyman Wolcott's. He was sickinbedand thestranger 
was taking care of him. The other bo^^s were out at work 
and would all be in at night. It seemed to me like being 
at home again among my own people. The boys did not 
get home till dark, and we lit no light until they came, so 
as to see if the}^ would know me by my voice. Loveland 
came first ; he knew me at once. I thought Powell would 
not, as I had grown considerably since he had seen me or 
heard my voice. Soon he came in while I was sitting by 
Wolcott's bed talking to him, and went directly' to wash 
himself. All at once he stopped and rushed across the 
cabin to me and exclaimed: "Deacon Ferguson or his 
ghost! I will swear that is his voice." Unlike the Dutch- 
man who explained that the reason why he called his son 



ANOTHER PARTY RESCUED. 141 

Conrad was because that was his name, the boys of my 
neighborhood in Ohio called me "deacon" because I 
had none of the sober and sedate qualities or character- 
istics of that excellent church official. So neither got the 
laugh on the other. We were all mutually delighted at 
this meeting in this part of the world so remote from our 
native home. My pleasure was greatly enhanced from 
the fact that I now heard from home, at least indirectly, 
which I had not since I left Illinois. 

Of course I was to stop there. I could, they said, do as 
well there, if not better, than elsewhere. We would be all 
together, knew each other, and, what was more, they 
had heard from home and were expecting a lot of the boys 
out every day from Ohio. They were coming across the 
plains and were sure to be there, they said, in a few days. 
And sure enough it proved true, for in a very short time 
they got word that the company w^ere coming by the 
Truckee route, and were then camped some seventy-five to 
one hundred miles out ; that their oxen had given out, and 
what was worse they were out of provisions. They had 
sent word by some emigrants who were a little better off 
and able to proceed, but still had nothing to share. Sel- 
dom if ever at that stage of the journey would a party 
have a surplus. They got the news in the morning, and 
by two o'clock in the afternoon, Loveland and Powell 
had bought five mules and started with three packed with 
provisions to meet the starving and distressed Ohio boys. 
So it was, universally, throughout California; it only 
needed to be known that one was in want, and there were 
always willing hearts and hands, yes, and money too, to 



142 GENEROSITY OF THE MINERS. 

relieve. No matter how total a stranger it might be who 
was distressed, the miners rose to every occasion. There 
was something about those rough exteriors which enclosed 
such great and generous hearts, that makes my very soul 
stir within me as I contemplate them now, when time 
and death and distance have separated us forever. They 
had all suffered and knew what it was to suffer, and when 
they heard of one in distress, their time, their money was 
nothing— their only thought was concerning the most 
speedy and effective relief. 

Many are the gamblers even, whom I have seen, on hear- 
ing of some poor fellow who was sick or in want, put his 
hand in his pocket and pull out twenty or thirty dollars 
and hand it over, saying nothing more than, "Give that 
to him," and try at the same time to look unconcerned 
or indifferent ; but scanning his countenance closel3^ one 
would see his lips quiver and his eye gathering moisture 
as he listened to the sorrowful tale. I venture to say right 
here that if I were sick, without money, without acquaint- 
ance, and among strangers, if honest and deserving, I 
would rather fall among those rough California or Aus- 
tralian miners, and gamblers even, than among many 
eastern men of wealth whom I know, who make broad 
their ph3dacteries and assume the virtues that should come 
of Christian civilization. The latter would refer me to the 
relief committee who would send me 

"Over tlic hills to the jioor-house;" 

while the former would i)ut his hand in his pocket and 
hand out immediate relief, or take me by the hand and say, 
"Come along, Cap, you can turn into my hut until some- 



GAMBLING AND GAMBLERS. 143 

thing turns up; I think I know of something for you when 
you are well enough ; in the meantime, stop with me and 
we will see what can be done. If you are sick, bring a 
doctor. Say to him that you have no nione}'. He 
will say, 'never mind, we will talk of the pay when you 
get w^ell.""' That was the sort of stuff the early pioneers 
of California were made up of, and thousands will bear 
me out in this statement. Those were trying times, and 
they tried the qualities of men ; and the nobler instincts of 
man became there a law unto themselves, even like unto 
the golden rule to do unto others as you would like to be 
done b}'. Had it got abroad that one had refused to 
relieve a fellow in want, he would have been lynched 
sooner than for stealing a mule, and heaven knows that 
that was not only abundantly speedy, but sure as death 
or taxes. However, with the exception of cases of sick- 
ness, there was less want in California, even at that time, 
than in any country I was ever in 

I abhor gambling in all places and in all forms, whether 
it be in mining regions or Wall street, or whether it be 
done at wholesale or retail. But society considers and 
treats gambling very much as it does the liquor traffic. 
It prosecutes and punishes the retailer and sends the dis- 
tiller and brewer to the legislature and to congress. It 
legislates against betting on elections and horse racing as 
a bad and disgraceful business. But betting becomes 
respectable and legitimate when made on the price of 
wheat in Chicago, or railroad and mining stocks in New 
York, and the man who can "corner" the wheat market 
or bring to ruin the original stockholders, whose honest 



144 THIEVES AND ROBBERS. 

money built the road, is a hero, and such wholesale gam- 
blers are called "kings." When the hypocrite, who has 
been regarded by confiding women and children as a 
saint, takes up his permanent residence in Canada, with the 
funds of a savings bank, he is never spoken of as a thief or 
robber, but always respectfully referred to as a financier. 
When a railroad official converts to his own use, or "mis- 
appropriates," as the financial term is, a million dollars, 
his colleagues may growl a little, but when he endows a 
theological seminary, or consecrates a memorial window 
to the relict of the deacon of his church, society is compla- 
cent and rejoices in the apparent belief that, after all, his 
virtues balanced his rascalities. 

When we came into California the territory had only 
just been annexed to the United States. Immigration 
soon commenced to pour in rapidly, and as there were no 
law-makers, consequently there w^as no law — at least we 
were told so by the rough element, which is always a 
numerous class when a sudden influx of people are thrown 
together under great excitement, such as was produced by 
the gold-fever, and that class will find one another out 
quicker than any other; but the better class are always 
sure to rule in the long run, and so it was in California. 
The thieves and robbers boasted that we had no law, but 
were told that laws could soon be made for them and all 
such as were not disposed to be law-abiding. And so 
there was, for as soon as there was a case of theft or rob- 
bery, the culprit was hunted down. We would sometimes 
hear of men running around, with rope in hand, crying 
out for the hanging of a thief or robber, under such a state 



1 




JUDGE lynch's court. 145 

of excitement that possibly an innocent man might suflfer, 
but generally cooler men would come to the front, and 
never in all ray experience did I either know or hear of an 
excited crowd carrying their designs into execution until 
the culprit had had a fair and impartial trial, according to 
the forms prescribed in the unwritten code of Lynch law. 
The proceedings of Judge Lynch's court, which I have 
attended, were something like this: The culprit being 
secured, the crowd would adjourn to some proper place, 
when they would elect a judge, who would be generally 
the most prominent and influential man of the town or 
place, then a jury of twelve men, or sometimes a less 
number, of like characterof the judge, as nearly as possible, 
as could be found in the place, also a prosecutor, a lawyer, 
if possible, also, if the party accused had no friends, they 
would appoint the most competent man to be found for 
his lawyer. The tribunal being thus constituted, wit- 
nesses were examined and arguments made by the coun- 
sel, perhaps, when the jury would bring in their verdict 
of guilty or not guilty, and if guilty the judge passed 
sentence. If for stealing, the sentence was for a certain 
number of lashes, more or less, according to the enor- 
mity of the crime and the previous character of the 
culprit. Such was the invariable course pursued, except 
when the criminal was caught in the act, when no trial 
was deemed necessary. I never witnessed but one lynch- 
ing by hanging, and that was an Indian. I shall here- 
after have occasion to allude to the subject of Lynch law. 
Loveland and Powell found the boys they started out 
to relieve, on the third or fourth day. The party consisted 



146 OHIO PARTY RESCUED. 

of Henry G. Taft, Homer Stull, brother of Judge John M. 
Stull of Warren, Trumbull county, Ohio; Ira and Amaziah 
Ross and Samuel Strickland, all from my old town of 
Farmington, in that county. There were also in the com- 
pany Austin Perry from Mesopotamia, same county; a 
Mr. Maj'hevv of Bristol, Trumbull county ; Samuel Beecher, 
of Mantua; George Raymond of Hiram, Portage county; 
and another man from the latter place whose name I can- 
not recall, but who. poor fellow, was accidentally shot 
by one of the party, just as Loveland and Powell found 
them. And so it was that, after all his toil and sufferings 
for want of food, he was killed almost the same moment 
that relief arrived. So the camp was in a state of mourn- 
ing when otherwise it would have beenascene of rejoicing. 
They buried him as Sir John Moore was buried— 

"No useless coffin enclosed his breast." 

Their teams having got somewhat rested, they started 
back for Nevada, arriving in due time, and there was great 
rejoicing on both sides, they that their long and toilsome 
journey was ended, we to see them and to hear from our 
dear old home and the loving ones we had left behind. 
No one knows how dear home and friends are unless one 
has been separated from them. I know from sad expe- 
rience. I shall have occasion hereafter to allude to many 
of the above names. Manj- of them are now dead. Some 
died before I left California, particularly George Raymond, 
Horo-an, and Austin Perry, whom I had known for many 
years. Homer Stull lived to return, but afterwards died 
defendin^i- our flag and Union; but his memory still lives, 



NEVADA CITY. 147 

associated with his generous spirit. Henry G. Taft, a 
specimen of God's noblest work, still lives and is in South 
America, as I have recently (1887) learned fromhis brother 
in Warren, Trumbull county, Ohio. 

Nevada City, it should be borne in mind, is not a town 
in the state of Nevada, but is in California among the 
Sierra Nevada mountains, on the western slope, situated 
on Deer creek, eight miles south of the south fork of the 
Yuba river, and about four milesnortheastof Grass valley, 
so called by those who first came to Nevada City taking 
their cattle there to pasture, there being no grass near the 
town. Gold had not yet been discovered in Grass valley. 
About half way between the two places was what was 
afterwards called Gold Run, that eventually proved to be 
very rich, and which I shall have occasion to allude to 
hereafter. Down Deer creek about four miles was Boyer's 
Agency: He was supposed to be some kind of an Indian 
agent, although I was never able to learn what he did 
for the Indians or any one else but himself. This remark 
is not intended in disparagement of Mr. Boyer, but only 
that I can't see what the government or the Indians 
wanted of an agent there. About half way between 
Boyer's and Nevada City was Wood's Ravine, so named 
after a man of that name who lived there and afterwards 
officiated as alcalda or magistrate. About nine miles 
down Deer creek was Rough and Ready diggings, named, 
I suppose, from the political campaign title bestowed on 
President Taylor; but this place was even less complimen- 
tary to the President than was suggested by the name, 
for a harder and more dismal place I never saw. 



148 MRS. PHELPS AND HER PIES. 

Nevada City was laid out in a deep ravine. It had its 
Main street and its Broad street and its Kiota street par- 
allel with Main and a few cross streets. What buildings 
were erected in my time were on Main and Broad princi- 
pally. On the south side of Deer creek was the road to 
Sacramento and towns below, and here Bowers Brothers 
had their express office. They took letters to San Fran- 
cisco for the modest sum of two dollars and fifty cents 
each. I have paid them ten dollars at a time for letters. 
One Baxter, who had been clerking for them, finally started 
into the same business himself, having his office on Broad 
street. There was one business house in Nevada City^ 
attractive to all, and which was eminently successful from 
the hour of opening its front door. It was Mrs. Phelps' 
pie house. Mrs. Phelps had a husband; nevertheless, she 
w^as the inan of the house. They had crossed the plains 
and brought a cooking stove. Upon arriving at Nevada 
City, Mrs. Phelps commenced making dried apple pies, 
which sold readily at one dollar a pie, and coffee at ten 
cents a cup. She drove a wonderful trade, especially on 
Sundays when the miners came to town, they having 
played euchre every evening of the week to determine who 
should pay for the pies when they v/ent to the "city." 
She often found it impossible to supply the demand on that 
day, notwithstanding her efforts in anticipation of in- 
creased numbers. She soon increased her facilities for bus- 
iness by getting another stove and purchasing a couple of 
bright-looking cows, which inade her place look home-like 
and were a great attraction. There was such a demand 
for milk that it readily sold at a dollar a pint, and one- 



FIRST WOMAN IN NEVADA CITY. 149 

half water at that. I have often seen her place literally 
thronged with miners waiting for her pies to come out of 
the oven, and as soon out, devoured. I think she was the 
first woman that arrived in Nevada City. Mrs. Coates, 
who came across the plains, was the second; Miss Bowers, 
sister of the Bowers brothers, was the third ; a Mrs. Scott, 
who settled out on Rock creek, was the fourth ; and Mrs. 
George Scott was the fifth. These women were a great 
attraction, and had they put themselves up on exhibition 
they would have drawn great houses. But they were 
brave, noble and virtuous women. They were not only 
anxious to make money by honest industry, but also to 
improve society, and they had not been long among us 
before their presence and cheering influence were felt in 
more waj^s than one. They put shoulder to the wheel, 
and soon a church was under way. They v^-ere angels of 
mercy, and many a poor suffering soul received assistance, 
comfort and consolation from their motherly and sisterly 
hands and gentle spirits. They were loved and respected 
by everyone in and around Nevada City. 

The first storekeepers, as I now remember, w^ere Davis 
& Hurst, on the corner of Broad and a street that ran 
across to Kiota street. The first principal bakers and 
butchers were Napper & Webster. Of professional men 
Dr. Gardner was considered the chief. He died early in 
1851, lamented by all. Dr. Livermore was a dentist w^ho 
came there from Sidney, Australia. Time has obliterated 
the memory of inany names with which I was then and 
there familiar, but I recall a noble-hearted southern gentle- 
man, Dr. Weaver, from Memphis, Tennessee. He owned 



150 THE CHURCH FAIR. 

the place called White Hall, at the head of Broad street, 
which will be remembered by man^^ as the place where the 
ladies held their first bazaar, for the building of the first 
church. I remember it distiticth^ and I pity the poor 
fellows that were beset by the ladies as I was. Miss 
Bowers kept the "post-office" at that bazaar, and no 
sooner than a fellow got inside, after paying two dollars 
entrance fee, than he was notified by the pleasant post- 
mistress that there was a letter in the office for him. I 
was young and felt quite flattered when notified by that 
young ladv, in her most winsome manner, that she had in 
her official keeping a letter for me. I stepped up and 
received a letter at her hands, and was in the act of return- 
ing her gracious smile, as best fitted my countenance, 
when she said, in the sweetest of womanly accents, 
"Two dollars and fifty cents." I paid it with alacrity. 
When I opened it I found it to be written in Dutch or In- 
dian, not a word of which could I make out. I was not 
wise enough to keep the joke to myself, but must go and 
tell her. "Dear me. how stupid I was," said she; "but 
here is your letter," handing me another. I was innocent 
enough to receive it, when the same sweet seductive voice 
repeated: "Two dollars and a half," and I again dis- 
charged my obligation to the post-office without shedding 
a tear. Mrs. Phelps ran the pie and coffee stand, and 
succeeded admirably in her line. I was not long in falling 
in with Mrs. Scott, who kept the scales. "Dear me," said 
that lady, "is that you? Why I hardl}^ knew you. Have 
3'ou been sick?" I innocently said, "No." "How I had 
fallen away'" I thought not, but she was sure I had. 



POST-OFFICE ESTABLIvSHED. 151 

"Just step on the scales and she would see." I did not 
drop to her little game, but like a simpleton mounted the 
scales as she requested, and weighed five pounds more than 
usual. "Well, well, I was mistaken," but smiling, she 
said: "People are liable to be deceived. Two dollars, 
please." I paid it and walked away, fully agreeing with 
Mrs. Scott that people are liable to be deceived, particu- 
larly at a ladies' church bazaar. I had not been in the 
house more than an hour when my experience had cost me 
about thirty dollars. I don't remember how much the 
fair netted, but it was something enormous. The miners 
were captivated with the smiles of the ladies and were 
willing to pay liberal for one ; nor were the ladies sparing 
of their blandishments, so long as the miners' money held 
out. The gamblers, too, came in for their share, and got 
as handsomely fleeced as they ever fleeced a poor miner. 

Hubbard & Hodge was the first law firm I remember. 
They had all they could do to prevent litigation and keep 
peace among the people. Main street contained three 
large gainbling houses, fitted up in the most elaborate 
style — Barker's, Antonio's and George Scott's. Broad 
street had only two, the Central and White Hall. There 
were, however, an endless number of small concerns that 
we cannot record, both in and around Nevada. Over the 
hill, near Lessen's tunnel, lived a character who may 
still be remembered by some of the present residents — the 
Dutch blacksmith, politician and stump orator. There 
were others I may have occasion to mention hereafter. 

Early in 1851 the government granted Nevada City a 
post-office. It was a blessing to all, for we could now 



152 NEWSPAPER AND THEATRICALS. 

write to our friends at home and send and receive letters 
direct, without the expense of two dollars and a half ex- 
press charges between there and San Francisco. I have 
forgotten the postmaster's name. About the same time 
the first newspaper made its appearance, displaying in 
good clear letters its title, Nevada Chronicle. I am also 
at fault, at this late day, as to the name of the editor, but 
have been told that the enterprising gentleman became 
a man of note in the state, and was appointed minister 
to Prussia and afterwards to Russia. Davis and Hurst 
built the first theatre in Nevada City, or in the Sierra 
Nevada mountains. The first company that appeared on 
its boards was under the management of Dr. Robinson. 
Many will remember the gentleman by his celebrated 
Yankee stories, told in the name of Hesekiah Pickerell. 
The first play I witnessed was " Christopher Strap." Soon, 
however, they aspired to something higher, as society 
was rapidly becoming more cultivated and select, and the 
"Lady of Lyons " was placed upon the boards, Mrs. Rob- 
inson taking the role of the lady, and a young man named 
Edwards that of Claude Melnotte. Bowling alleys and 
billiards were not long in coming in, so that by the latter 
part of '51 Nevada City society was not without abun- 
dant places and varieties of amusement. A store was 
established in Wood's Ravine by a man from Arkansas, 
whose last name was James. The summer of '51 is 
especially remembered from the circumstance of the death 
of his wife. The community deeply sympathized with 
him, but, moreover, each person seemed to mourn as for 



RESPECT FOR THE FAIR SEX. 153 

a personal affliction and inconsolable loss, such was the 
reo-ard and reverence for woman where there were so few. 
When the death of a woman was announced in a distant 
mining camp, a sudden sadness and silence pervaded; 
men spoke low to each other, and the cabin door was 
opened and closed lightl}- , as if for fear of disturbing the 
dead. James subsequently entered into a business partner- 
ship with Mrs. Coates, whom I have before mentioned. 
They started a boarding-house in connection with the 
store, and drove a flourishing business. Mrs. Coates was 
a very cheerful woman, and her kind and pleasant dispo- 
sition made her house very attractive, and her vivacious 
spirit was a stimulating medicine to my own and many 
other miner's dreary and lonesome life. I have sometimes 
feared that an erroneous notion prevailed in the states 
that the pioneer women of the early California times were 
of a low order, and were regarded by the delvers in the 
mountains and looked upon by them as base adventurers 
of an immoral character; but such has not been my ex- 
perience. I never knew a miner to insult a woman, but, 
on the other hand, I know a woman could visit alone a 
camp of miners and be treated with higher consideration 
than many honorable wives, mothers and sisters are 
treated by menin passing along the streets of our cities in 
the evening, or even in the da^^-time. Every miner seemed 
to consider himself her sworn guardian, policeman and 
protector, and the slightest dishonorable word, action or 
look of any miner or other person, would have been met 
^'ith a rebuke he would remember so long as he lived, if. 



%'^v 



154 A miner's honor. 

perchance, he survived the chastisement. No matter how 
"rich and rare were the gems she wore," 

" But blest forever was she who relied 
Upon a miner's honor and a miner's pride I " 



THE RESCUED PARTY. 155 



CHAPTER XI. 

Mining Associations — A Claim — Rifle Bounded— Kiote Diggings — 
Hiring Out— "Galena"— Senator Stewart— Painful Sickness- 
Poor Man's Creek — Borrowing a Mule — Another Grizzly 
— Perry's Death — Ingratitude— Jumping a Claim — First Min- 
ing Suit— Eviction — The Evictor Evicted — Luck- A Miner's 
Superstition. 

HAVING digressed in the last chapter to make brief 
mention of Nevada City and its first pioneers, and 
while I shall hereafter have occasion to refer to others of 
them, I must now return to the time of my arrival at the 
Ohio boys' hut. In the company that Loveland and 
Powell went out to relieve and bring in, were two other 
persons whose names I omitted — William Powell, brother, 
and Edward McCall from Parkman, Geauga county, 
Ohio. The rescued company all camped with us until they 
could build a hut. Taft, Stull, Mayhew, Strickland and 
the two Rose brothers were under a home contract of 
partnership to share alike, so they went in together. 
Many in that early day came out under like arrange- 
ments, but those incipient, home-partnerships never held 
long, and were often dissolved before they arrived, cer- 
tainly within three months after reaching their destina- 
tion; not always that ill-feeling existed, but the thought 



156 RIFLE BOUNDARY. 

of being bound together was generally sufficient cause for 
dissatisfaction. So it was in their case, for after remaining 
together about three months Taft and Strickland drew 
out, while the other four remained together during their 
stay in the mountains. William Powell, Beecher, McCall 
and Raymond built another hut near by, and thus our 
village of three huts, built on rather elevated ground, got 
the name of Buckeye Hill. There was a man in the party 
that came across the plains with Loveland by the name of 
Fisk, from Nelson, Portage count}^ Ohio, whose brother 
had just arrived by way of Panama— had contracted the 
fever. He had been staying with his brother some three 
months, unable to work in the mines; so Fisk concluded 
to sell out his interest in the hut, take his brother down 
to Sacramento and start gardening. With the approval 
of the others, I bought him out, including his cooking 
utensils, for two ounces of gold. Wolcott was about to 
leave for home, and Taft bought him out at the same 
price, so that now our party proper consisted of Love- 
land, Powell, Taft and myself, and we remained together 
as long as we were in California. Although some one or 
more were at times away, that was invariabW our head- 
quarters and home. 

When the mines in and around Nevada City were first 
opened, they vvere solely in the ravines. Deer creek was 
Tockbound, and there was no law regulating the size of a 
miner's claim, and generally a party that first went into a 
ravine had the exclusive right thereto, or as much of it as 
he or they saw fit to claim. As population increased that 
rule did not long maintain. The primitive manner of assert- 



RULE ESTABLISHING CLAIMS. 157 

ing a claim and the limits thereof, is best illustrated by the 
following story: An old prospector and miner of the 
hard-shell type used to take his rifle with him, and when 
at work set it up against a tree. One day a new-comer 
arrived in the ravine and asked the old miner some ques- 
tions, but the answers were all evasive; but when he 
inquired how much of the ravine he claimed, the old fellow 
started up bright and communicative, and, pointing to the 
tree where his rifle leaned, said . " D'ye see that rifle there, 
stranger?" "Yes," said the man. "Wall," said the 
miner, "jist as fur as that rifle carries, up and down this 
ravine, I claim — and no further; there, now, you know." 
Then he went on about his work. The man left, conclud- 
ing he would look for diggings elsewhere. 

This state of things continued, however, only for a 
short time. The miners saw that something must be done, 
and therefore a meeting was called and a rule was estab- 
lished that each miner could hold thirty feet square as a 
mming claim, but was entitled to buy out as many claims 
as he pleased, providing he kept men at work on them; 
and that law held good while I remained in California. 
When mines were first opened, but few, comparatively, had 
any knowledge of mining gold, and everyone had a theory 
of his own. The general impression was that gold lay in. 
the gravel on the bed-rock, and so it did upon granite, and 
even where the granite was soft it worked itself into that 
a few inches. Many of the crevices in the ravines near 
Nevada were slate bed-rock and loose on the edges, and the 
first workers only took off the gravel, never digging up 
the slate. I remember Powell telling me of a man who 



158 THE KIOTE DIGGINGS. 

came along when they were at work in Wood'vS ravine and 
laughing, said: "What do you think those fellows are 
doing up there (on the claim above)? Wh}'," said he, 
"they are digging up the rock for a foot or more down," 
and all joined him in the laugh except Loveland, who 
said nothing; but at dinner time he went up to see what 
the}'- were doing, and as they also had gone to dinner, he 
dug up two dishes full of the rock and washed it, and in 
about half an hour came back to the hut with the gold he 
had obtained, and it Avas found that there was more gold 
in the rock than in the gravel. Thus they had to live and 
learn. It was for a time believed that gold was confined 
to the ravines and gulleys, and that Nevada diggings 
would soon be a thing of the past. 

Two miners, Heath and Hale, working the gully that 
ran through the town, or where the town afterwards 
came to be, came onto a bed of gravel which seemed to 
run from the gully into a hill, and as they prospected, 
favorable indications increased. They followed it into the 
hill and it grew richer and richer as they advanced, and 
when thev got in too far to strip the surface, they had to 
tunnel and timber, or kiote, as the}' then called it. From 
this system the Kiote diggings derived its name. All the 
hills northwest of Nevada City proved to be very rich, and 
gave employment to thousands for many years after. The 
Kiote diggings were in full blast when I arrived there, and 
there I did my first work. The bo\'s thought I had better 
hire out until I got a little insight into the business and 
understood the working of the ground ; so I went with 
them the first da}^ and saw how the\' worked and timbered 



THE GALENA MINER. 159 

Up under ground, for it was all under ground, at a depth 
of from thirty-five to forty-five feet. I took particular 
notice of the manner of timbering, and in one day found I 
could do it as well as any of them. The next morning 
I started out to look for a job. Generally the first question 
asked me was, "Where did you come from?" I truthfully 
answered, "Ohio." No, they did not want me. So I 
traveled that day to the tune played by the same question 
and answer, till I began to think there was some prejudice 
against Ohio men. I went home rather crestfallen, and 
when I told the boys of my da\''s experience, they laughed, 
and then told me that Galena lead miners were all the rage 
there. That gave me my cue, and the next morning I was 
on the wing bright and early, and had just got into the 
busy region when I saw some men standing around a 
shaft, apparently consulting. I stepped up and asked if 
they wanted to hire any hands. They looked at me, and 
then came the same old question, "Where are you from ?" 
"From Galena," I replied, which was again the truth, for 
I was a long way from it. "You are just the man we 
w^ant," said one of them. They said they had some men 
working for them that did not understand mining — that 
they were about to lose their shaft, and asked me to get 
onto the rope and go down and take a look at it and see if 
I thought it could be repaired. I lit a candle, got on to the 
rope, and they lowered me down. I felt rather skittish, 
but my reputation was at stake, and it would not do to 
back out now that I had set myself up for a Galena miner. 
On inspection I found the shaft badly out of order and vSO 
pronounced it when 1 appeared on the surface, but assured 



160 THE HELPER. 

them that I could make it perfectly safe. One remarked 
that he supposed I would want a helper. Now what a 
helper was I did not know, but thought I would know 
when I saw one. So I said of course I could not get along 
without a helper, wondering all the while what kind of a 
tool a helper was. I felt relieved, however, when one of 
them called to a man passing and asked him if he wanted 
a job. "That," said the man, "is just what I am looking 
for." He was engaged, and I was still more pleased when I 
found he had just come across the plains and I was not 
liable to be exposed by him in my pretense of being a bona 
fide Galena miner. Then came the question as to how much 
I would charge. I looked at the sun and remarked that 
as it was now about nine o'clock, I would work that day 
for twelve dollars, but that if I worked on I should want 
sixteen dollars a da3\ They told me to go ahead, and 
down my helper and I went. I set my helper to clearing 
out the dirt and rocks that had fallen down around the 
shaft, while I took my measures and went to the surface 
to fit my timbers. I felt safer above than down in the 
shaft. If the whole thing should fall, or the earth cave in, 
only the helper would be killed and not the expert Galena 
miner. Human nature is selfish to the last, even in the 
best regulated families, and I confess to the common infir- 
mity. I got my timbers all cut by the time my helper got 
the shaft cleared out. Then I and my timbers went down 
and we fitted in the first set and made a good job of it, 
when I went home. The boys wanted to know how I got 
on, and I told them the whole story, and we had a good 



BECOMES MANAGER. 161 

laugh over it, and from that time I went by the name of 
the Galena miner. 

The next day I went back. The helper proved to be a 
good hand, having worked in the coal mines of Pennsyl- 
vania, and knew more about such work than I did. It is 
an old saying that the devil's children have the father's 
luck. So it was in our case, for we worked on three days, 
and a better job was never done. When all was in order 
they were well pleased and offered me the management of 
the work, the claim being owned by parties that did not 
themselves work at mining. I remained with them three 
weeks, when it was found that the claim was not paying. 
I should have been surprised if it had. However, as I had 
been paid every Saturday, I was content and lost no sleep. 
My next employment was by the company of which Love- 
land and Powell were part owners. Rigby and Peck, two 
men from Oberlin, Ohio, had originally taken up the claim 
and sold out to Loveland, Powell and William M. Stew- 
art, since United States senator for the state of Nevada. 
He came from Mesopotamia, only five miles from my home, 
and to whom I shall have occasion to allude hereafter I 
worked for them three weeks, when the water broke in 
and drowned out all the claims. Mining was suspended 
for three months. In the meantime I bought out Povv^ell's 
share, and he afterwards bought out Stewart. We sold 
a large pile of wash dirt to Herbert Bowers, one of the 
Bowers brothers. He failed and we lost our money. 
That's the way the world wagged then and there. 

For a long time I had been feeling that something was 
wrong with me. I had never felt so before — sluggish, tired, 



162 SCURVY TREATMENT. 

lazy — the latter I had never been guilty of before. Finally 
m\' gums got sore and began to bleed, and I became sub- 
ject to excruciating pains. The boys sent for Dr. Gardner, 
who pronounced it scurvy, contracted in crossing the 
plains, induced by exposure, anxiety of mind and starva- 
tion He prescribed spruce boughs boiled to a strong 
tea, which I was to drink, and nothing else. A wash of 
the same with vinegar and tinctured with cayenne pepper, 
including a steam bath of the same, at a pretty high 
pressure, were the doctor's directions to the boys for my 
daily treatment. It was pretty tough treatment, harder 
to bear than any I had ever inflicted during my professional 
career among my Oregon patients. I was put through 
the steam kettle process by the boys for ten days; was 
helpless as an infant, having to be carried to and from 
ray bed. The painful part of my afl[liction seemed to be in 
my feet and legs. The only way for a long time I could 
get at ease was in lying on my back on the floor and put- 
ting my feet on the table, a luxury I dearly paid for after- 
w^ards, for when I came to put them on a level with my 
body, the pain was still more unbearable. I would pity 
the meanest dog in the world that had the scurvy. But 
thanks to Dr. Gardner, the bo3^s, the steam kettle and 
raw^ potatoes sliced in vinegar, after some two weeks my 
pains left me, and "Richard was himself again," though 
rather thin and scanty, for I could put m\^ finger on the 
calf of my leg or on any flesh}'- part of my body and 
press it to the bone, and the indentation would remain 
for half an hour, and when the flesh or skin resumed its 
smoothness again, a black spot would mark the place of 



BORROWS A MULE. 1^^ 

the pressure. If my readers think the above deserip- 
tion of "scurvy treatment" unnecessary, my apology is 
that it is for their benefit; should they ever get a httle 
mancy and unable to get a doctor, they can avail them- 
selves of the prescription in my case. As I have lived to 
tell the story I venture to pronounce the above remedy, 
in the language of learned Sierra Nevada doctors, a " never 
failing antiscorbutic." 

Although I now called myself well, yet I felt I was not 
the same person I was before. Powell and myself con- 
cluded to go up to a place called Poor Man's Creek, luw- 
in<. been offered a chance there by some parties who had 
come down for provisions. They had a good warm hut 
already built, so we bought a share in their provisions 
and tools and started up in a few days. The Creek was 
about thirty miles from Nevada, on the north s.de of the 
south fork of Yuba river. I had overrated my strength, 
and found I could not work In fact, I gave out before 
we got to the Creek and what.to do we d.d not know, 
but seeing a mule that had strayed away from someone 
I said "If I could catch that mule I would rideh.m," al- 
though I knew that if caught it would be a case for 
han-ing. Powell said he could catch him, and he dul. 
We made a bridle of theropeswe had around our blankets, 
put the blankets across his back, and Powell lifting me on 
we proceeded, keeping a sharp lookout for the owner 
of the mule. Soon Powell got tired out and he got on 
behind me, I telling him that if we were to be hung lor 
the mule we might as well get all we could out of h,m. 
He was a large, strong animal and carried us both splen- 



164 PURSUIT OF THE GRIZZLY. 

didly. At night, after our arrival, we fed him a large loaf 
of bread and Powell took him to a place where there was 
good feed and started him on the back track, and that 
was the last we ever saw or heard of the mule. It was 
a good thing we started the mule back that night, for it 
began to snow, and I never saw snow fall as it does in the 
Sierra Nevada mountains. It w^as soon fully four feet 
deep on a level, and we w^ere snowed in tight and fast. 
We had nothing to do, as we could not get out to our 
claim to work. We read all the books we had, told all the 
stories we had ever heard and all w^e could invent. 

One dav the monotony of the hut was broken by one 
of the boys, when he came running in, his eyes extending" 
from their sockets, saying, "Boys, boys, I've seen a grizzly 
bear! a monster!" We hardly believed him at first, but 
when he persisted so earnestly in the truth of his state- 
ment, we concluded there w^as something in it ; so I w^ent 
out but did not see the bear, but did see his unmistakable 
path in the snow^. I went in and loaded up our guns and 
pistols and we started in pursuit. The snow w^as so deep 
w^e could only w^allow through and that only by keeping 
in the great furrow plowed by the bear. We followed for 
some time, but could get no nearer, apparently', than when 
w^e first started, and it is my impression that there was 
not a man among us that wanted to get any nearer the 
mighty beast than we were already. I confess I did not, 
and I was not the biggest coward in the party either. We 
had followed the bear nearly an hour when we gave up 
the chase and returned. One of the boys attempted to 
discharge his gun but found he could not. Then we tried 



RETURN TO NEVADA. 165 

every gun and pistol, and found to our surprise that not 
one would "go off." The secret v^as that we had wal- 
lowed through the snow until the caps had become wet, 
and we congratulated ourselves that we had not overtaken 
Mr. Grizzly. 

We had now been snowed in some four weeks, and it be- 
came more and more tedious hibernating in that lonely 
place, so Powell and myself thought to get out in the world 
once more, and made a break for Nevada. Following the 
creek about eight miles, we reached the Yuba river. This 
route was much longer than the one by which we came, 
but we thought we would get out of the snow sooner by 
this way ; besides, there would be a hut at the mouth of 
the creek w^here we could stay over night. Having started 
early in the morning, we wallowed on eight miles, reaching 
Moore and Peck's hut at dark. They were from Mes- 
opotamia, Ohio. Austin Perry, to whom I have before 
alluded, had been with them for a time and was out of 
health, had had a job of clerking for the Jameses, but was 
unable to stand even this kind of labor, and on inquir- 
ing about him at Moore and Peck's, we were pained to 
learn that he had died the Sunday previous. We were told 
that his last request was for a drink of water; that after 
breakfast, one went to ask him if he would have a cup of 
coffee, but was surprised to find that poor Austin Perry 
was no more. He was a young man, w^ell liked by all who 
knew him. He always had a pleasant word for everyone, 
and he deserved a better fate. 

We reached Nevada at noon the next day, having made 
twenty-five miles in half the time it had taken us to make 



166 CLAIM JUMPED. 

eight the day before. We now found that Homer Stull, 
Mayhewand the two Roses were about starting for home. 
The next day after we had left Nevada, they struck, in a 
dry gulch near their hut, very rich diggings, but they never 
told one of their acquaintances who had spent time and 
money to take them provisions and rescue them from starva- 
tion a hundred miles away in the wilderness, but let in 
strangers after they had made their pile. They sold their 
claim to one of the Perrys for a mere song, who took out 
more than twice as much after them. The world seems to 
wag strangely sometimes — rescue a man from death, nurse 
him and feed him, and ten chances to one he will never re- 
quite the favor, but if he has one to bestow, the stranger is 
the recipient. We found also that Peck and Rigby 
had jumped our flooded claims. They were the men we 
bought of, and we were not at all surprised, as we had no 
reason to expect otherwise, for we knew they were 
scoundrels, at least Rigby was, and Peck was a fool, 
which is worse, for I had rather deal with a rogue than 
with a fool. But Powell and I were not to be bluffed out 
of our claim. I went to see Rigby, but he would do noth- 
ing but sell to us, so we got our tools and went to sinking 
a shaft. Rigby came out and made a great bluster, but 
we were not to be bounced by word of mouth, so he went 
back, and the next day we were served with legal process; 
but we kept right on until the day of trial, having finished 
the shaft the same day. Our lawyer made the point that 
one partner could not jump a claim against his co-partner, 
but the court overruled him and we were beaten. That 
was the first mining suit in Nevada. As we had finished 



LAWSUIT AND EVICTION. 167 

theshaft a little before the trial, which was on a Saturday, 
we had taken out considerable wash dirt, which is the pay- 
ing dirt sought for in such diggings, and, therefore, early 
Sunday morning Powell and I got up and set our long 
torn, as it was called, and commenced to wash the dirt we 
had taken out. Rigby heard us and started for the 
sheriff, told what we were doing and demanded that he 
should be put in immediate possession, but cautioned the 
sheriff to be careful, as we were desperate men. Soon the 
sheriff was on the ground with his posse, and came to me 
where I w^as washing. I undertook to argue with him to 
gain time, while Powell went down to see our lawyers, 
Hubbard and Hodge. But Rigby got impatient and 
ordered the sheriff to do his duty, so he asked me to re- 
move our tools, and called his posse to help me. They 
took the long tom, after shutting off the water, and carried 
it off the claim. As the water ran off, I saw^ the yellow 
gold glittering in the box. I seized hold of it and carried 
it off bodily about fifty yards farther, although at any 
ordinary time it would have taken two men to do it, but 
the sight that I had seen gave me for the moment super- 
human strength — the gold was so thick in the wet mass in 
the box that it looked like yellow pudding. I emptied the 
richest into a tin dish and sunk it in a pool of water, then 
cleaned out the riffle bar and put the contents into another 
dish, and commenced to pan it out carefully. Rigby came 
around, as I knew he would, to have a look at it. I was 
very civil to him and washed the little I had left in the box 
down carefullv and showed him the contents of the dish, 
remarking that the whole thing was not worth quarreling 



168 THE EVICTOR EVICTED. 

about. He expressed his disappointment and said lie 
thought it was better, or he would not have stood out 
about it. So I knew he did not mistrust that I was de- 
ceiving him. After he had gone Powell came, and we 
w^ashed out what I had hid away, and it turned out greatly 
beyond our expectations. There was over two hundred 
dollars worth of pure gold in what we had already washed 
out, and as much more dirt on top, at the mouth of the 
shaft, to be washed by somebody. How to buy the claim 
of Rigby was now the question, for if we went to him, 
he would drop on our game, as the expression was. The 
people around w^ere all in our favor, for they considered he 
had acted a mean part in jumping his partners, and were 
glad when it turned out so poorly, as they supposed it 
had. Sam Beecher had chafed Rigby and Peck about it, 
and asked them what they would take for the claim — we 
had sent him for that very purpose. They would take, 
they said, $125.00. We told him to offer one hundred dol- 
lars, giving him that amount in the very gold we had taken 
out to pay for it. The offer was made and accepted, the 
gold weighed out and in Rigby's purse, but w^hen he came 
to make the bill of sale, he was thunderstruck when told 
to make it out to Powell and Ferguson. 

We washed out the next day from the remainder of the 
dirt over two hundred dollars worth more, and then sold 
the claim to a party from New Zealand for four hundred 
dollars. So in the long run we came out ahead of Rigby, 
and the party we sold to did well. They also bought two 
or three other claims of Powell and myself, claiming that 
they had better luck in buying of us than of anyone else. 



BELIEF IN LUCK. 169 

Miners are always superstitious about luck. No matter 
liow it goes with them, everything is attributed to luck, 
and a philosopher would sometimes almost think some men 
were guided by some unseen influence or power, for I have 
known men for years who, no matter what enterprise they 
enlisted in, were sure to triumph ; and then, possibly, luck 
would forsake them and leave them in poverty, where the 
fickle goddess of fortune first found them. Nevertheless, 
you can't make an old miner believe but that there is some- 
thing in luck. 



170 GOLD RUN DIGGINGS. 



CHAPTER XII. 

Gold Run— Shaft Sinking— Timbering — Wash Dirt— The Enterprise 
Company— KioTE Hills Tunneling— Grass Valley — A Midnight 
Cry— Quartz Mining— Mortar and Pestle— First Stamp Mills- 
Mark Twain's Experience— Job's Patience— Mrs. Coates— Team- 
ing TO Sacramento— Lost and Found— No Thanks— Where's My 
Coat? — Chief Cook — Nevada in Flames — Doctors' Duel — Crimes 
and Punishments— Dueling — Bull-fighting — Women and Improved 
Society — Indian Dances and Funeral Fashions. 

AFTER selling out our Nevada claims to the New 
Zealanders, Powell and I went over to Gold Run, 
about half way between Nevada City and Grass Valley, 
where there had been a late rush. These grounds had 
been worked a little about the time of the first opening of 
the Nevada City mines, but the diggings we're wet at that 
time, and the miners did not understand how to contend 
with the water as they did eighteen months later, nor did 
they know anything about driving, or kioting, as it was 
then called ; and the whole territory being a marsh, it had 
to be boxed, that is, solid timbered. The process was to 
sink a shaft to the bed-rock, timbering up as they went 
down, with slabs, split from pine logs, varying in width 
from six to ten inches, and at least two inches thick. 
After reaching bed-rock, a well-hole had to be sunk in the 



MINING PROCESS. 171 

rock to receive the drainage of the shaft, large enough to 
allow a bucket to fill itself in bailing out the water. This 
being accomplished, they commenced to open a horizontal 
drive on the face of the rock, timbering as they proceeded, 
by putting down a sill, with notches in the ends the thick- 
ness of the posts, with a cap piece about three inches 
shorter than the sill, so as to allow a little slant to the 
posts, which increased their firmness. If timbers are thus 
placed and well fitted, they may possibly be crushed, but 
otherwise will never give way. The crib being made 
ready for opening the drive, take out the bottom slabs of 
the shaft, on the side of the intended drive, to the height 
of from four to six feet, and as the dirt in the drive is 
removed, put in the second set of timbers, lathing the top 
with heavy, stout slabs, and the sides, also, if necessary; 
this is called box-driving. In some very soft or sandy 
ground another set of timbers, which miners call pre- 
ventive cr temporar}', are required for every two feet 
advance, and as they are put in the lath timbers are 
driven along from the last set over the preventive set; 
then remove the dirt for two feet more, and repeat the 
process, following up with the main timbers. At Gold 
Run the nature of the ground was such that it had to be 
solid timbered. 

Some old California miner, who mav possibly read this 
page, will not unlikely say: "What is the use of telling 
us about mining shafts and drivers and sluices? Don't 
we know all about it?" Yes, very true, and I am not 
unmindful of the folly of carr^ang coals to Newcastle, but 
am conscious, nevertheless, of a new generation who do 



172 HIRING OUT. 

not know the process of primitive gold-mining in Califor- 
nia, nor of the hard and toilsome labor of him who delved 
for orold in '49. The hard realities of the miner's life 
divest the golden age of nearly forty years ago of much 
of its poetry and romance. 

Powell and myself both hired out to one company to 
work exclusively underground, timbering in a drive. 
Each had a helper to wheel away the dirt to the shaft, 
bring the timber and assist in placing it. Their labor was 
by far the hardest, yet they received three dollars a day 
less than we. The whole ground was one moving bog 
from the surface to the wash dirt, which was about one 
foot thick, and the width of paying dirt was estimated 
from five to one hundred feet. The company consisted of 
ten in number and held ten thirty-foot claims and were 
agreeable men, but their names are forgotten if I ever 
knew them, for, as I have in a former chapter remarked, 
at that time, in California, one might be intimate with 
Another for months and not know each other's names, 
except as Tom or Jack or Bill. If one had a second name 
it wasgenerally merely descriptive, as. Feather River Bill, to 
distinguish him from some other Bill. It was only by mere 
accident that the full name and residence of an acquaint- 
ance was learned. Thus hundreds were forever lost to 
their friends at home. But it was no fault of the miners, 
for they would have been promptly advised by letter had 
they been possCvSsed of the names and address of distant 

friends. 

I worked in Gold Run some two months and left, 

Powell remaining. I could not stand working in that 



THE ENTERPRISE COMPANY. 173 

water, a large stream of which was running in the drive, 
and the drippings from the buckets at the shaft. All who 
worked below were wet through. The claim furnished 
w^ater enough to wash out all the dirt they raised, which 
was no small amount, for they kept their long tom run- 
ning night and day. Working was by shifts of eight hours 
each. I have stopped in a drive until I was obliged to 
crawl out on my belly, shoving my tools ahead of me, on 
account of twisting or skewing of the boxing in the wet 
soil . I have known shafts twist half around and close 
up so a bucket could not pass up and down. 

As I had come to California with lofty aspirations and 
not to wear out my old clothes, as many pretended they did, 
I became dissatisfied with working for wages, and con- 
cluded to join a company to tunnel one of the Kiote hills 
to which I have before alluded. Some of the old Kiote dig- 
gings had become wet and consequently were opened at 
great labor and expense, and tunneling was the next process 
to be resorted to. Lessen's tunnel had already been started 
in the ravine below the hill, as it was then, for I don't 
know as there is any such hill there now, as I have not 
been there since 1852, but many will remember where it 
was then. That tunnel was put in to drain one side of 
the hill, and proved a good speculation. Our plan was 
to drain the other side by a longer tunnel, as the diggings 
went further into the hill the wetter they got. Sixteen 
persons constituted " The Enterprise Company." Among 
the names, so far as I can now remember them in full, were: 
L. 0. Hart, Chester Babbet,H. G. Taft, Sherban Loveland, 
John Hunter, Richard Bean and C. D. Ferguson. There 



174 RICH BUT DID NOT KNOW IT. 

were also Coates, James and Johnston. All other names 
have passed out of memory. Our tunnel when completed 
w^as one thousand three hundred feet long, six feet in the 
clear, and solid timbered — some parts rock cut, some quick- 
sand, and all expensive. Our tunnel was verj^ wet, and a 
vast amount of quicksand was constantly flowing out. 
We worked five months in the enterprise, and when we 
had run into the hill where we expected to strike the 
lead of paying dirt, we found nothing but quick- 
sand, and had to abandon it. Man^^ years after, 
when I had become more experienced in mining, I 
could see where we had been deceived. A shaft was sub- 
sequently^ put down, not far distant in the same hill, by a 
party, one of them named Mario, from Iowa, and had 
struck gold about sixty feet down on a false bottom, but 
went on through it to the main rock ; the water, how- 
ever, was so strong they could not work it and were com- 
pelled to abandon it, but a year afterwards it was 
discovered that our tunnel had drained the shaft, when 
they resumed work on the false bottom and found it to 
be very rich. Some years afterwards Powell worked 
it on wages, and I was informed that he had taken 
out as high as three thousand seven hundred dollars 
in a day. Mr. Lewis Taft also told me he had known 
it to 3'ield from two dollars vip to sixty to the tin 
dishfull, and all worked out by reason of the drainage of 
our tunnel. So in all probability we but just barely- missed 
making our pile, and all for the want of a little more 
experience. Such was the fate of many other pioneer 
miners in California. The first do not alwaj^s find reward 



ENGINEERING— SLUICE-BOXES. 175 

in their enterprises ; they only open up the way, and others 
whocome alongyears afterwards, perhaps, reap the benefit 
of their hard toil and great expenditures. 

After the Kiote hills had been opened and coUvSequently 
drained, there came a scarcity of water, so that dirt had 
to be hauled to Deer creek, a mile or more, at great ex- 
pense, which prevented many claims from parang. An 
enterprising man, Charles Marsh, an engineer, undertook 
to bring water by a ditch from Rock creek around Sugar 
Loaf mountain, a distance of five miles. It was regarded 
as a doubtful enterprise, but it succeeded. The creek, 
however, was small and the supply was not ample, but 
it was the beginning of what afterwards proved a great 
boom to Nevada City. Marsh was the pioneer of the 
supply for the diggings round about. He made a large 
reservoir to hold the water nights and Sundays, selling it 
out at the rate of an ounce of gold a day to the first user, 
to the next below, half an ounce, to those lower down a 
further reduction, when at last it found its way into Deer 
creek. 

William M. Stewart, since United States senator 
for the state of Nevada, early had his eye open to 
business. Many laughed when he first engaged in 
it. It was putting in a long line of sluice-boxes 
running down the gully some three or four hundred 
feet, letting in all the tailings and water that run 
from the miners' toms. He kept a man on them con- 
stantly through the day with a sluicing fork, stirring 
up the dirt and keeping it loose. On Sundays, when the 
miners were not working, he cleaned out his boxes— with 



176 QUARTZ GOLD DISCOVERY. 

what result none ever knew, except those interested, and 
they kept it to themselves. I can now see that it must 
have contributed largely to his fortune, for much of the 
dirt was not half washed as it ran out of the various 
toms of the miners and found its way into the future sen- 
ator's sluice-boxes. At any rate, it doubtless paid him 
better than running for the office of sheriff at the first 
county election in Nevada in which he was badly beaten, 
notwithstanding his generous contributions to the ex- 
penses of his campaign. He was not, however, an unpop- 
ular man. 

The success of Marsh's enterprise awakened others. 
Two large companies were soon formed, and two more 
ditches were dug, this time up Deer creek. More water 
was needed, and there was no lack of spirit in Nevada 
City. Only let the people see there was a want of some 
improvement and the least prospect that the scheme 
would pay, and money was plenty for it. Rock creek 
ditch had demonstrated the practicability and profit of 
such works. There were plenty of surface diggings that 
w^ould pay if water could be brought from Deer creek, 
which was an ample stream to supply the wants of all. 
The two ditches were built in an incredibly short time. 
Competition brought water rents down so that surface 
diggings would pa}-, miners make good wages and yet 
the companies good dividends. The benefit was alike to 
the miners and the public. 

About the middle of 1851 Nevada City was startled by 
a "midnight cry" from Grass Valley. It was the c^uartz 
gold discover}^ reputed to be wonderfully rich, but difficult 



STAMP MILLS. 177 

to work, though men were making good wages pounding 
it with mortar and pestle. Soon it was seen that some 
process must be devised to get the gold out easier and 
faster. Judge Walsh and a Mr. Collins were the pioneers 
in quartz mills. It was in such a mill, some years later, 
that Mark Twain tells of his first job. He says he hired 
out at one hundred dollars a month to feed the stamps, 
and after working a month to their entire satisfaction they 
wanted to keep him on at the same wages. He offered to 
remain at five hundred dollars a month, but the indignant 
proprietors ordered him off the premises, and he was after- 
wards sorry he did not say a thousand, as they would 
have given it as readily as they would five hundred. I 
differ from Mr. Twain in my notion of the value of a 
month's services then and there, for I would not be hired 
to tend and feed such a machine for a thousand dollars a 
month. It was four head of stamps with wooden shanks, 
and the most it could do was to pound out two tons of 
quartz a day. Job was reputed a patient man, but he 
never tended a quartz mill like the first one in Grass Valley, 
and had his miserable comforters offered him a like situa- 
tion, he would, or ought to have been requested to retire. 
Had the grand old patriarch worked a month in such a 
quartz mill, the record of his noble and patient character 
would never have come down to our time. 

About this time the Bunker Hill Quartz Mining com- 
pany was organized in Nevada City, but I did not take 
any stock in it for the reason, principally, that old Rigby 
was to be the manager of it, and I could take no stock in 
him or in anything he had anything to do with. A Dr. 



178 BUNKER HILL COMPANY. 

Rodgers expected to astonish the world with his quartz 
smelting process. The company went to great expense in 
building a furnace, putting in a large water-wheel, rollers 
to crush the quartz, purchasing thousands of cords of 
wood for charcoal and constructing large fans to blow 
the fires of the furnace and puff to eternity the fame of Dr. 
Rodgers. Everything being prepared, all there would be to 
do would be to put in the charcoal, then the quartz on top, 
light the fire, put the fans in motion, then run off the gold 
in the bottom of the furnace, thus already smelted, into 
bars ready for coining. Some facetious wags suggested 
the propriety of attaching a mint to the works and coin- 
ing the gold then and there to save expense of transporta- 
tion to Philadelphia and back. The process, however, 
proved a dead failure, and in its results it was for that 
time and place a miniature South Sea bubble, for not 
only did capitalists, who generally subscribed to promote 
the enterprise, lose their entire investment, but many a 
poor fellow lo.st his whole summer's wages, besides being 
in debt for his board at twelve dollars a week. Rigby 
and Rodgers, the manager and projector, were enabled, 
through the handling of the stockholders' money, to make 
themselves whole. In this respect they were, indeed, both 
skillful "managers." 

A San Francisco company started another crushing 
process, at the head of Wood's ravine, under the manage- 
ment of one Colonel Doan. This, also, proved a failure at 
first, but I do not know how it turned out in the end, 
though for the early history of quartz mining I think it 
was really a good plant. Colonel Doan had the regard 



wood's ravine — MRS. COATES. 179 

and sympathy of all who knew him. Wood's ravine took 
a good start at the beginning of the quartz excitement. 
Two large hotels, or boarding-houses, were built there, 
one by Beauclerc, James and Butch, the second by Mr. 
and Mrs. Coates. We had long been tired of boarding 
ourselves, and now boarded with Coates at twelve dollars 
a week. Coates worked at mining and Mrs. Coates ran the 
boarding-house. He had been very successful in mining, 
and had made considerable money, and knew how to keep 
it. That faculty was so strong in him that it developed 
into very disagreeable penuriousness ; besides, he was the 
most jealous man I ever saw. No person could speak to 
his wife but his suspicions w^ere aroused. She was an 
active, enterprising and industrious woman, and popular 
for her kindness of heart and agreeable manners towards 
all, No more upright and honest woman ever came to 
California than Mrs. Coates. His jealousy was simply 
the outcome of constitutional meanness. Seeing his mis- 
erable disposition towards the noble woman, some of the 
boys mischievously put their heads together to keep him 
constantly in hot water. He had occasion to go to 
Sacramento, and for a change and rest she wanted to go 
with him, but he was too stingy to incur the increased 
expense, but took her over to Rock Creek to visit Mrs. 
Scott while he was gone. The boys were determined to 
get Mrs. Coates back home just to torment her disagree- 
able lord and master, but of their purpose and scheme 
Mrs. Coates was perfectly innocent. They had a little 
girl and boy of seven and five years old. Johnny was a 
bright little fellow, and the pet of his mother and all her 



180 LOST AND FOUND— NO THANKS. 

friends. Being put to their wits ends for a plausible 
excuse for sending for Mrs. Coates, they finally had to 
resort to the following scheme: There was an old quack 
doctor in the place, always full of whiskey, and they 
bribed him to give the boy just a little gentle emetic, and 
as it commenced to operate they started a man off with 
two horses, riding one and leading the other for Mrs. 
Coates, and in less than an hour she was back again 
among us. Johnnie's emetic had worked to a charm, and 
he was out at play. She was greatly relieved to find the 
dear boy in perfect health. Mrs. Coates remained at 
home until her husband's return. 

The other house ran a store as well, and James used,to 
be on the road freighting to and from Sacramento. He 
had four mule teams, and getting sick hired me to go two 
trips with his other man. The first trip I made, as we 
struck the Sacramento flats, a man passed me on horseback 
under full gallop, the other teamster being ahead of me 
an hour's distance. Not long afterwards I discovered 
something like a bit of red ribbon sticking up through the 
sand, apparently about five inches long. I stopped the 
mules, got off, and to my great surprise found it to be a 
bag of gold dust, of about eight pounds in weight. I 
put it in the side box and went on. Presently I saw the 
same man that had passed me about an hour before com- 
ing back. He asked the driver ahead of me if he had 
picked up anything. He told him he had not, and of 
course I being so far in his rear, he did not know that I had. 
The man was very much excited as he confusedly asked 
me if I had picked up anything ? I asked him what he 



Where's my coat? 181 

liad lost? He began to cry and said he had lost every 
cent he was worth. "What was it?" said I. "A basr of 
gold, all I am worth in the world, except my horse and 
saddle," said he. I went to the side box, took out the 
bag and asked him if that was it ? " O 3^es," said he, and 
seizing hold of the bag of gold immediately rode off, not 
even so much as thanking me. I don't know whether the 
fellow was too ignorant to be civil, or whether it was be- 
cause he was so excited he did not know what he was 
doing; I judge the latter, or at any rate I am willing to 
give him the benefit of the doubt. 

The next trip I made with a little loss myself. I was so 
ashamed of it that I tried to keep it from the boys, for 
they were always running me about my carelessness. 
Upon leaving the Ouartzville hotel, I stopped at Coates' 
to take on a box, and a passenger who was going down 
with me on his waj' home to the states. I helped him on 
and put his box in the wagon and started, not stopping 
until we reached Rough and Ready, where we watered 
the mules and went in to water ourselves. I was humil- 
iated when I found I had not a cent to pay the score with. 
I went out to the wagon, but my coat was not there, 
neither did I have the slightest idea where it was. The 
other driver had money enough to pay the bill and so we 
went on, and by the time we returned to Quartzville, 
-which was some eight days later, I had forgotten that 
I had lost a coat. While we were at supper some person 
spoke about someone having lost some gold and that 
put me in mind of my coat. I then inquired of the land- 
lord if anyone had seen a coat I wore when I was there 



182 CHIEF COOK— SALARY STILL DUE. 

before. They all declared I wore it away, at any rate no 
one had seen it. After supper I went up to Mrs. Coates', 
and as no one had seen it there I gave it up as lost, but 
just then the little girl spoke up and said Johnnie was cut- 
ting the buttons off acoat he found in the road j'csterday. 
We took a light and went into the little boy's room, and 
sure enough there was my coat with all the buttons cut 
off. I put my hand into the side pocket and pulled out a 
purse containing about three hundred dollars. It had 
lain in the road, and men and teams had traveled over it 
for eight days, when Johnnie Coates picked it up to get the 
buttons, and by that lucky circumstance my money was 
saved. I tried to keep it a secret, but somehow the bo3'S 
got hold of it and there was no end of the chaffing I had 
to submit to. 

From teamster I found advancement in accepting the 
position of chief cook at the Quartzville hotel where I 
remained some four months at a salary of one hundred 
and twenty-five dollars a month. As there was but one 
cook at that hotel I cannot be overstating the truth when 
I claim that I was chief. If possibly I am in error touch- 
ing my rank, I cannot be regarding my salary, for it is 
indelibly stamped upon my memory that Messrs. Beau- 
clerc & Co. never paid the same, nor any part of two 
hundred dollars money loaned them. I merely mention 
this trifle, thinking possibly it may have slipped their 
memory and that should they still remain this side of 
Jordan and be reminded thereof by reading this book, 
they might be anxious to remit to me by draft. I shall 
be generously disposed to waive the matter of thirty 



NEVADA CITY IN ASHES. 183 

years interest and give a receipt in full for the original 
sum. 

It was in 1851, I think, when one morning in March 
we set out for the city, and on our way were surprised 
to see burnt pieces of calico strewed along the road, and 
even burnt shingles. Arriving at Nevada City we found 
the whole of Main street in ashes. The fire had broken 
. out in Barker's gambling house, and spread so rapidly 
that in less than twenty minutes the whole street was 
one sheet of flame, and in an hour it was in ashes. Three 
of the finest buildings of the city were on this street. 
Scott's Empire, one of the most costly structures, had 
been opened but three nights when it was swooped up by 
the flames in an hour. The very next day by ten o'clock 
one could hardly get through the street for the men and 
teams clearing away, unloading lumber, and making 
ready for new buildings, and in a, few weeks a stranger 
coming to the city would hardly know there had been a 
fire. Such were the enterprising spirits Nevada Cit}' was 
made up of in the golden days of '51. Moreover, those that 
did not suffer by the fire contributed generously to those 
who lost their all, and I don't know of a single instance 
where a man had lost even his last dollar but he could 
obtain credit to go right on and build up again. So we 
not onl}' had enterprise in Nevada Cit}^ but generosity 
combined. The same has been my experience in whatever 
part of the world I have been. Enterprise and liberality 
go hand in hand. 

Considering there was no public law in the territory 
until Nevada City was nearly two 3'ears old, I think one 



184 THE doctors' sham duel. 

would have to travel far to find a more law-abiding 
people. There were but very few cases tried before Judge 
Lynch, only three cases of shooting, and those poor shots, 
only one man being killed, and only one case under the 
code of honor. The first shooting case occurred in Bar- 
ker's gambling house, although the quarrel had been else- 
where. The affair was between two doctors, rivals for 
notoriety if not practice also, whose names I have for- 
gottn. As they met, one pulled out a pistol and told the 
other to draw He threw up his hands and said he was 
not armed. Whereupon, the first pulled out another 
pistol and handed it to him, and in less than half a minute 
the house was clear of people — all that could get out. I 
was one of the unfortunate that could not get out, and 
took refuge behind the counter and a fifty gallon beer 
barrel. It was a close range struggle — pop, pop, and 
then a suspension for a few seconds, when I would stick 
my head up from behind the barrel to see if it was all 
over; then it would be pop, pop, and down would go my 
head again behind the friendly beer cask. At last each 
had discharged his five shots and what seemed very 
remarkable, neither was hurt. After it was all over they 
shook hands and drank together at the bar. The whole 
affair was a farce. It was simply a case of two mentally 
diseased doctors administering to each other bread pills, 
instead of good honest lead which would have cured both 
at that short range. The crowd only had been frightened, 
and as for myself, I never had any love for powder smoke 
under such circumstances, especially when I had reason to 
suppose there was a lead ball on top of the powder. 



THE LAST SHOOTING CASE. 185 

The next shooting case was that of Brown, a gambler, 
and Smith, a miner, which occurred in the Empire gam- 
bling house and grew out of a political dispute involving 
the abolition question. Smith used very abusive lan- 
guage which Brown put up with for a long time, but the 
more he forbore the more abuse Smith seemed disposed 
to heap upon him. Finally he told Smith to go away, 
whereupon Smith struck him. Smith was a stalwart 
six-footer, while Brown was a small man and no match 
for him. No sooner than he received the blow he drew his 
pistol and fired, the ball going through Smith's lungs. 
He fell and bled profusely. Of course the cry went out 
that a gambler had shot a miner and ropes were im- 
mediately in the hands of the multitude, they demanding 
that the wretch be hung, though not yet knowing the 
circumstances. The cooler ones, however, came in time 
to get Brown out of the way of the excited crowd, called 
a court and jury and tried the case, the hearing of evi- 
dence occupying two hours, when the jury returned a 
verdict of self-defense, and Brown was discharged. Smith 
had a pretty loud call, but by virtue of a strong constitu- 
tion he lived. He was proved to be the aggressor, and the 
result was a lesson by which he profited by improved 
manners thereafter. Brown paid his doctor's bill and all 
his expense while he was laid up. Such was the gambler's 
style of doing things in the early days. 

The last case of shooting happened in Kiota street the 
day of the first election. A man called Hayes, said to 
have come there from Cincinnati, and having the repu- 
tation of being a very mean and quarrelsome jDerson, 



186 robbers' punishment. 

had a quarrel with a miner that morning over a pile of 
wash dirt, and had threatened to shoot the miner the 
next time he met him. His character was so well known; 
that everyone regarded him as very likel}^ to keep his 
promise in this respect if in no other, for he was entirely 
destitute of principle, and no little anxiety was felt for 
the miner, who was an old man and had a son about 
eighteen. When the son heard of Hayes' threat against 
his father, he w^alked into Bowers' express office, bought 
one of Colt's six-inch revolvers, loaded it without saying 
a word, walked up Main street, and when he turned up 
Kiota street he met Hayes and shot him in his tracks. 
There was, of course, another excitement, but it only 
lasted a few minutes, for as soon as anyone heard that 
it was old Hayes that was killed, that was enough ; the 
universal expression was, "Served him right." The boy 
had a trial that lasted about an hour, and the verdict was,, 
"justifiable homicide." 

There was comparatively little thieving in and about 
Nevada City for so many people — perhaps from twelve to 
fifteen thousand — the principal case being that of a 
matter of three thousand dollars stolen from Napper's 
bakery shop. After a little his clerk was suspected and 
eventually acknowledged the theft. Two other young men 
had planned the robbery and the clerk had helped to carry 
it out. About half the money was recovered ; the balance 
had been spent at the gambling table. The three were 
convicted and sentenced to receive thirty-five lashes each, 
Mr. Napper paid Butcher Bill five hundred dollars for 
administering the punishment. All felt the justice of the 



LASHES FOR THE CHILIAN ROBBER. 187 

punishment, but everyone looked with contempt on the 
man that would whip another for pay. Had he volun- 
teered to execute the law, or had Mr. Napper himself laid 
on the lashes, it would have been deemed the proper thino-. 
From that moment Butcher Bill dropped to the lowest 
round of the social ladder, even to that of the thieves 
themselves. 

At Rough and Ready an Indian was hung for the killing 
of a young man who was out looking for his uncle's 
horses. He had been found dead, pierced with arrows and 
mangled with a tomahawk. No one had witnessed it or 
knew the murderer, so the tribe was applied to for the sur- 
render of the guilty Indian. They demurred at first, but were 
informed that if they did not comply the whole tribe would 
be held for the murder. At last they promised to do so as 
soon as they could find him, for he had become frightened 
and had hid himself. In a few days the}' found him, brouf^ht 
him in and surrendered him. Finding proof enough amono- 
the Indians themselves that he was guilty, hanging was next 
in order. Loveland, Taft and myself went down to wit- 
ness the execution. The tribe did not arrive with the cul- 
prit till evening, so we had to lay over. In the meantime, 
the authorities had another little judgment to execute 
upon a Chilian who had broken into a store and had been 
caught in the act and had been adjudged to receive a cer- 
tain number of lashes. As there was now territorial law, 
the culprit was in the care of the constable awaiting exe- 
cution of the sentence — the expense of which would be 
a charge upon the county— so, as a matter of economy, 
while waiting for the murderer to be brought in, they 



188 HANGING THE INDIAN MURDERER. 

thought it advisable to administer the lashes to the 
Chilian robber and save the county the expense. The con- 
stable v^ranted to make his fees and declined to give up the 
prisoner, so they kicked dow^n the door and took him to a 
tree back of the jail and tied him. A doctor was present 
to decide how much the culprit could endure. A man was 
selected from the crowd to wield the lash. He received 
twentj'^-five stripes when the doctor ordered a stop. 
The blows occupied about one minute. As he was untied 
he fainted and fell; the doctor revived him with brandy 
and water, when he was given twelve hours to leave the 
district, with notice that if he returned he would be hung. 
The Indians arrived in town about dark with the pris- 
oner, Indian Dick by name, or as he was called. He was 
well known in the town as a bad fellow, and it was proved 
that he had enticed the young man out under the pretense 
that he had seen the horses. What he killed him for, per- 
haps was not very clear, but most likely for some trifle he 
had that the redskin fancied. The trial began in the even- 
ing and lasted till morning. Boyer, the Indian agent, was 
appointed interpreter. Verdict, "guilty." The judge, who 
had been up all night, went to bed as soon as the case had 
been submitted to the jury. The prisoner was guarded by 
the murdered man's uncle, a six-foot two-inch man, who 
stood sentry with a rifle nearly as long as himself 
When the verdict was brought in, the judge was sent for to 
pronounce sentence. The uncle had been asked to go for 
the judge, but he declined to leave the prisoner, saying his 
post was by the Indian and there he should remain as 
long as the prisoner lived, which was not much longer. 



THE NEVADA DUEL. 189 

Soon the messenger to the judge returned with the sentence 
in writing that Indian Dick be hanged by the neck until 
dead, but in the sleepy condition of the judge he omitted to 
mention any time or place of execution. But such a little 
technical or informal matter was of the least consequence, 
for the crowd soon fixed time and place. The time was 
instanter, the place the first tree. The convict was then 
brought out, a dry goods box was placed under a limb of 
the tree with a barrel on it, upon which Dick was placed 
with his hands tied and his eyes blindfolded. By this time 
someone had climbed the tree and fastened the rope. The 
noose was adjusted to the murderer's neck, and the next 
instant the barrel was knocked out and Dick was kickinof 
right and left, for they had forgotten to tie his legs. Some 
twenty Indians were witnesses of the performance, laugh- 
ing and seeming to enjoy it. I was in hopes the Indian 
would attempt to escape, as I wanted to see the old uncle 
drop him with that long rifle. I knew it would have done 
the old man's heart more good to have shot him than to 
have seen him hung. As soon as all was over the uncle 
turned and v/alked out of town without speaking a word. 
And now I will say right here that I would never witness 
the like again, either of flogging or hanging, for idle curi- 
osity. 

The single duel with which Nevada City was credited, 
as early as the spring of 1852, the time I left, was between 
one Jim Lundy, son of the proprietor of Lundy's Lane, 
famed as the battle-field of the War of 1812, and Charles 
Dibble, then recently an officer of the Pacific mail line of 
steamers. Jim was a noted duelist, this being, it was 



190 INHARMONIOUS MUSICAL ARTISTS. 

said, his seventh duel. Dibble was a young man some- 
what addicted to drink, and having been discharged from 
the Pacific mail vservice, he came to Nevada City, where he 
got into some altercation with Lundy and challenged 
him. Lundy tried everj' means to prevent the meeting, 
but to no avail. He was a dead shot and no coward. 
The night before the meeting he shot the wick off a candle 
to convince Dibble of the danger he was liable to, but to 
no purpose. The meeting came off and Dibble was shot 
dead. One General Morehead acted as second for Dibble, 
but the name of Lundy 's second I have forgotten. The 
authorities took the matter up, arrested, tried and fined 
the surviving principal and the seconds. 

There was, in fact, another duel in Nevada City, but as 
it was irregular and wholly outside the code of honor, 
through the conduct of the seconds, it does not count in 
the record of dead shooting. Two old down-easters from 
Maine were rival musical artists, one a fiddler, the other a 
vocalist, and both were slightly addicted to drinking 
sprees, and when in the spirit they could not harmonize. 
They were known as old Wentworth and old Dan. On 
one occasion Dan was saw^ing away at his cat-gut when 
Wentworth considered himself entitled to the floor for a 
song, and being disturbed thereby, told Dan to stop that 
squealing thing. Dan felt insulted and demanded to know 
if he pretended his vocal ability to be equal to his instru- 
mental skill. Words multiplied words till their passions 
were thoroughly aroused, when nothingcould wipe out the 
mutual insults but pistols and coffee, or rather, whiskey. 
A meeting was arranged; Hart and Hunter were seconds; 



NEVADA LADIES AND SOCIAL LIFE. 191 

weapons, pistols ; time and place, immediately, in rear of 
the Quartz hotel. Before going, Wentworth proposed to 
Dan to have one more drink together, as it was probably 
the last on earth to one or the other. Dan assented, say- 
ing he knew very well which one was taking his last 
drink. The principals were then placed, each taking his 
stand as coolly as he ever stepped up to the bar for a 
drink. The pistols were handed them ; the w^ord was 
given and both fired. Wentworth fell covered with blood. 
Dan approached and looked upon his bleeding victim, and 
in maudlin utterances, said: "Poor f-feller, he wa'n't 
f-fit to die." This was too much for the bleeding and 
dying man, and he suddenly' revived and jumped up and 
demanded, "Who wa'n't fit to die?" He would let him, 
Dan, know he was fit to die, although they had differed in 
theology. Upon Dan's discovery that his antagonist was 
not dead or dying, he w^as greatly pleased ; took him by 
the hand and rejoiced in the prospect of another drink 
together. The fact was, the sportive boys had loaded one 
pistol with powder only, and the other with a cartridge of 
currant jelly — hence the blood 

After the emigration of 1851 Nevada City was graced 
by the presence of the fair sex numerously, who lent a 
charm to the place we had never anticipated. The winter 
following was a season of gayety, no end of balls and 
social parties. In fact, the increased number of good 
families of wives and daughters greatly improved the 
social aspect of the town. The theatre greatly improved 
and became a popular place of amusement with a higher 
order of plays and actors. It was no longer the Nevada 



192 BULL-FIGHTING UNPOPULAR. 

Cit}' of '49 and '50. Fire-works were displayed both 
magnificent and expensive, and proved remunerative to 
the promoters of such entertainments, although the price 
of admittance was only three dollars, barely the price of 
three pounds of flour to the early immigrant. Three 
thousand attended the first night, and the audience did 
not diminish for several successive nights. The old Mex- 
ican bull-fighting w^as experimented in, but was not 
patronized by people from the states, who found no pleas- 
ure in cruelty to animals, and it died out, though great 
expense had been incurred in building a large amphitheatre. 
The modes of fighting are various ; sometimes a man on 
foot, sometimes on horseback, and sometimes a Mexican 
woman will exhibit her prowess and skill. The bull is let 
into the arena after having been starved and kept in a 
dark pen and every means used to torment him to get 
him into a rage. When he first enters the arena he is 
allowed to stand a few minutes and gaze at the crowd, 
which he does, but they being of course out of his reach, he 
looks around as if in search of something to vent his spite 
upon. At this moment his antagonist appears, bearing in 
one hand a rosette, in the other a red shawl, which he shakes 
at him. The bull at once makes a dash at the shawl and 
the party steps aside, and as the bull passes he hooks 
the rosette into the animal's shoulder. This is painful 
and crazes him so that he immediately turns for another 
attack upon the flaunted red cloth, and passing again, in 
like manner receives another rosette in the opposite 
shoulder. This is sometimes repeated until the animal is 
fully ornamented with rosettes, when the. bull walks off 



MEETING WITH COSTLER. 193 

to one side to rest and contemplate the state of affairs, 
and the person also retires behind a screen and takes 
a rest. Then he appears with a long sabre or knife and 
again shakes the red flag, when the ferocity of the animal 
is increased and he makes another plunge at his assailant, 
who, after playing him as before, finally puts the sabre to 
the hilt into the bull's neck, near the shoulder; the 
blood spurts, and the poor animal walks to the other side 
of the ring, staggers for a few minutes, and then falls upon 
his side to rise no more. So thoroughly brutal and de- 
basing is this relic of Spanish and Mexican barbarism, 
that I have even felt a regret that the bull did not survive 
the ordeal instead of the man. The bear-baiting and bull- 
fight are barbarous entertainments introduced from Mex- 
ico, and are alike both cruel to animals and debasing to 
human nature, and I forbear to further repeat their 
details. 

While attending one of these barbarous Sunday exhibi- 
tions, someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned 
to see who it was, and judge of my surprise to find it 
Martin M. Costler, my old friend and companion, who had 
crossed the plains with John See and myself. I never was 
more surprised in my life, especially to meet him at a bull- 
fight, and that too on Sunday, for he was a very religious 
man when he left the states, and, in fact, while crossing the 
plains. The gladness of our meeting was mutual. The 
only difficulty we ever had resulted from his efforts to 
correct my bad French, which, I am sorry to say, I some- 
times expressed a little too emphatically when things went 
wrong. Of course he went home with me and we had a 



194 YUBA INDIANS AS CUSTOMERS. 

long talk, fought over again all our battles with the In- 
dians and told each other all our adventures since we parted 
on Feather river two years before. He had been back to 
Long's Bar to find me, hearing that See had gone home ; 
and not getting any tidings of me, concluded I had gone 
with him. He had been to every digging in the country 
in search of me. When we parted, two years before, he 
went to Sacramento to work at his trade. Then there 
came a rush for Redding's Bluffs and he went up there, 
and then to some other place, and so on till he had boxed 
the compass of all the diggings in the country, just 
stoppingin one placelong enough to make sufficient money 
to carry him to another. So it was with thousands that 
-went to California, first and last, and so it is in every place, 
many are perpetually on the move. He staid with us a 
while, got work at his trade and seemed content, that is, 
for him, for he was always a little dissatisfied with the 
world. He was, however, a very good fellow and liked 
by all. 

The Indians around Nevada were known as the South 
Yuba tribe, and generally very quiet. The only murder I 
heard of their committing was the one already related. 
Thej-- were rather hard at driving a bargain. If they 
bought anything they would pull out a little parcel of 
gold, about a pennyweight at first ; tell them that was 
not enough, they would pull out as much more, which still 
not being enough, they would say, "Got no more." Put 
the article back on the shelf, they would produce another 
parcel, and if they then got the article, they would stand 
around till they saw something else they wanted, and 



INDIANS AS GAMBLERS. 195 

then they would repeat the same higgling proc-ess. Only 
one of a dozen would trade at a time ; the others would 
look on, and if one got the same article a little cheaper, or 
for a little lessquantity of gold, then there would be agreat 
fuss to get the balance back. Their custom was hardly 
worth having; it was too much trouble to deal with them, 
the trouble of waiting on them being in excess of the value 
of their trade. Some were very good help about a hotel 
or a boarding-house. I remember Jim, at the Quartz 
hotel, a smart, gay fellow who worked there four months, 
got himself a good suit of clothes, bought a cheap Mex- 
ican pony, saddle and bridle, and one day went down to 
Bover's, among his tribe, to see his wives, as he said, but 
it was more to show his clothes and other evidences of his 
high civilized state, and to gamble, for they are all invet- 
erate gamblers. About twelve o'clock, the next night, T 
heard a noise at the back door as of someone trying to 
get in, and went and opened the' door. There stood Jim 
without a stitch of clothes on. He had gambled off all — 
clothes, horse and one of his wives, for he had two. The 
Indians believe in a plurality of wives, but two is generally 
the limit of such luxury, their financial resources not 
enabling them to attain unto the glories of Solomon. 

Their mode of gambling is after this manner: Each 
takes a given number of sticks, a little longer than a com- 
mon match, and sitting on the ground, facing each other, 
one takes three of the sticks in his hand and commences 
to go through a variety of motions, changing the sticks 
at the same time, the other watching him. After awhile 
he stops and the other guesses which hand they are in. 



196 INDIAN DANCES AND TOILET. 

If he guesses right, he takes one of his opponent's sticks 
over to his pile , if wrong, he puts one of his over to the 
other's pile, and so on until one or the other has won all 
his opponent's sticks. That ends the game. The stakes 
are won by the lucky Indian, who gets an increase of 
estate and often an extra wife. The}'- get very excited in 
gambling and will seldom give up as long as they have 
anything to wager, even to their wives, which last species 
of Indian property they affectionately reserve as the last 
thing to part with. Jim had got cleaned out and came 
back satisfied. We got him an old suit of clothes and he 
went to work as if he had lost nothing, at least to all 
appearances, though no one can tell whether an Indian is 
satisfied or not. They have what they call carobore\'S, or 
fandangoes — a dance and a feast ; the latter is a kind of 
soup made of dried acorns pounded to a flour and then 
stirred in cold water. When prepared, all sit around and 
each dips his forefinger in and licks off the soup. The one 
who gets the most dips gets the most soup. It pleases 
them much to have the whites join them in their finger- 
licking feast. The dancing is exclusively done by the men, 
ladies taking no part therein except as musicians. They 
sit off a little distance on the ground, some six or more 
composing the orchestra, each manipulating a sort of 
tambourine with two strings across it, with two beads on 
each string, which they beat with their fingers, at the 
same time keeping up a monotonous and dismal sort of 
song that makes a civilized man's flesh creep. The gentle- 
men's ball-room attire consists solely of a strip of calico 
fastened about the waist, some nine or ten inches in 



INDIAN FUNERALS. 197 

length, and the dancers, usuall}^ about twenty in number, 
dance in a circle. Their steps and movements would 
not be considered by our ladies and masters of our danc- 
ing schools as very graceful, but I can testify that, 
although they were barefooted, yet when they put their 
foot down one hears it, if not by the concussion, by the 
grunt the performer gives; that they keep excellent time — 
that is, I thought so, not judging by the music, but by the 
vibration of the ground for thirty feet around. This per- 
formance is kept up for about half an hour, when the 
whole part}^ become thoroughly exhausted and the perspi- 
ration exudes from them as if a bucket of water had been 
dashed over them. 

I never assisted at one of their funerals, but I have seen 
them in their mourning costume. The woinen take the 
most conspicuous part in inducting the deceased into the 
happy hunting ground. After the burial the women 
gather balsam from the fir tree and daub their hair and 
face with it, the dirt, of course, adhering, for they never 
wash themselves, and after a day or two their appear- 
ance is ver}^ repulsive. I never looked upon one of those 
creatures but my very flesh crawled with a feeling of dis- 
gust. If the Oriental philosophy of the transmigration of 
souls is correct, I pray that m}^ soul may animate the 
body of bird or beast rather than that of a California 
Digger Indian, more especially one of the female branch. 



198 QUICKSILVER CRADLING. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

Improved Methods — The Cradle — Ouicksilver--Long Tom— Sluice 
Boxes — Hydraulic Washing — News from Australia — Resolved 
TO Go There — Settling Up— Carried Off by the Gold Fever — 
Sacramento— San Francisco— Ship " Don Juan "—Steamer "Win- 
field Scott" Arrives— Practical Jokes — Careless Shooting — 
Spurs and Shirt Collar— On Deck of the "Don Juan" — Adieu 
TO San Francisco. 

THERE had been great advancement in the method of 
saving gold in the short space of time, about two 
years, that I was in the country. At first the cradle was 
used altogether for washing the dirt and separating the 
gold therefrom, and quartz crushing was then unknown. 
The first improvement was in using quicksilver, which 
required a dift'erent cradle from that primitive one which I 
have before described. The quicksilver cradle was fixed 
upon rockers similar to the common gold cradle, only on a 
larger scale and having a long drawer. The whole length 
of the drawer was divided into six or eight little compart- 
ments, made perfectly tight so as to hold quicksilver, 
which is the most difficult to hold of all liquid substances. 
The screen on top runs the whole length of the rocker, 
punched with holes similar to the hopper of the early 
cradle. The quicksilver is placed in equal portions in each 



THE LONG TOM. 199 

compartment of the drawer, when the rocker is put in a 
slow rolling motion, the dirt having been put in at the 
upper end ; a gentle but steady stream is kept constantly 
running in at the top where the dirt is put in, which grad- 
ually washes down and disappears through the sheet iron 
screen and falls among the quicksilver, to which the gold 
adheres, while the sand runs on with the water — the 
coarser matter passing off over the screen. This process 
was as short-lived as it was impracticable, except where the 
gold was in loose sand and as fine as flour. A doctor at 
Long's Bar, on Feather river, had a new-fangled machine 
made of zinc, with partitions for the quicksilver as in the 
above described rocker, which we concluded could be 
worked at less expense than the former. We procured a 
quantity of quicksilver at ten dollars a pound and com- 
menced operations, but had run it but a brief time when 
we discovered quicksilver running through the sand and 
escaping. We stopped to look, not knowing but we had 
discovered a quicksilver mine, and little thinking that ours 
had eaten a hole through the zinc and was all gone, which 
proved to be the fact. Neither of us knew it would eat 
zinc. That put an end to our experiment with quicksilver, 
after losing ten pounds and literally spoiling a rocker that 
had cost the doctor forty dollars. 

The next process that came into use was the long torn 
which I have heretofore described. It was equal to a full 
day's washing for two men, cleaning up in the evening 
with about a tm dishful of dirt to pan off, when the gold 
is all in the dish ready to dry and blow out the sand and 
put it in the gold bag. Two men could wash in a long torn 



200 SLUICING AND HYDRAULIC PROCESSES. 

some six loads of dirt in a day, and it was a great improve- 
ment over the old rocker, and would enable men to work 
diggings that yielded less gold to the load of dirt, and pay 
even better than richer dirt by the old cradle process. 

Then came in vogue the sluice-box, which I have also 
before described. A long series of boxes, each some twelve 
feet long and one foot high and wide, fitted into each 
other and riffled on the bottom. Six men could shovel in 
all day, while one man with a sluicing fork stirred up the 
dirt to keep it from packing and forked out the large 
stones, and another at the end of the series of boxes shov- 
eled away the tailings not already carried away by the 
water. This was deemed an improvement over the torn. 
It was said that dirt that would pay one cent to the tin 
dishful w^ould amount to half an ounce a day under this 
process. 

Afterwards came the process of ground sluicing, for 
surface dirt. A small ditch was cut on the side hill, just 
enough to make a course for the water, which, as it ran 
down, would wash the ground and loosen the lumps and 
the men would remove the large stone with their shovels. 
No one would believe the amount of ground six men could 
wash in a day who had not witnessed it. It was esti- 
mated that dirt that was a good strong color to the tin 
dishful would pay one ounce a day per man. We seldom 
cleaned up ground sluices oftener than once a week. This 
was done by uniting the various sluices, making one con- 
siderable stream, and placing boxes at the lower end to 
receive the entire week's wash, which, though reasonably 
successful, would be reduced to two or three dishfuls, 



TYPHOID SCOURGE AND DEATHS. 201 

thus putting the week's work of from six to eight men into 
a pretty small compass. 

Lastly was the advent of hydraulic washing which 
required great force of water, the stronger the better, 
which being run through hose they would commence in 
the face of a hill, sometimes washing away the whole hill 
before cleaning up, as it was called. Fortunes have been 
made by this method where the cradle and even the long 
tommen could not make their board. Before I left Nevada, 
early in 1852, there was a great deal of hydraulic mining 
being done between there and Rough and Ready, so that 
in two years mining had made great advancement since 
the days of the primitive rocker. 

In the summer of 1851 the typhoid fever broke out in 
Nevada City, proving fatal to many people. Dr. Gardner, 
of whom I have already spoken, was himself a victim of 
the scourge. He was from Michigan and a 3^oung man, 
a good physician, and much lamented as a friend. George 
Raymond of Hiram, Portage county, Ohio, also died, 
besides a great many others whom I personally knew but 
whose names I can not at this moment recall. So it was 
in '49; you know him, he sickens and dies, and no one 
knows whence he came. His friends never get tidings 
of his fate, and not unlikely an aged mother is looking 
for his return even unto this day, still clinging to the hope 
chat her boy, her youngest, who went to California in '49 
»r '50, will yet return to gladden her heart and receive 

-* blessing. Many times have I been asked about an 
ie — "My mother's brother, who went to California in 
and we never heard from afterwards." They would 



202 NEWS FROM AUSTRALIA. 

tell his name and describe his looks, although the party 
giving the description was not born when the uncle left, but 
the_y had heard him described so many times by their 
mother or an aged grandmother that they really believed 
they knew how he looked. And the mother never gives 
up hope until she, poor soul, knows that her son is dead. 
It was customary in the mining regions to go about on 
Sundays visiting one's neighbors, or to town to see the 
sights, so that that day was generally the most stirring 
day in the week. Loveland went to town to see a dentist, 
not knowing I had ever pulled a tooth. Taft staid at 
home, while I went to see Beauclerc, who was a great 
friend of ours. He told me he had just received a letter 
from an uncle of his in Australia ; that gold had been dis- 
covered there by a man from California, b}' the name of 
Hargreaves, that was liable to become very rich diggings. 
I thought nothing more of it until I went home. Taft was 
cooking supper. I inquired for Loveland. "Oh," said he, 
"out star-gazing." I went out and found him standing a 
little distance from the cabin, his face turned starward, 
though I don't believe he was conscious of a star, for his 
mind seemed elsewhere. I asked him for his thoughts. He 
said Dr. Livermore, the dentist, w^ho was formerly from 
Sidney, told him that he had just received a letter from 
Australia advising him that gold had been found there in 
quantit3'and richness surpassing anythingthen discovered 
in California. I then told him about Beauclerc's letter. 
"What do you say about our going?" said he. "All 
right," said I, "if you will go, I will." At that moment 
Taft called us to supper, and when we went in we told 



SETTLING UP AFFAIRS. 203 

Taft that we were going to Australia. "All right," said 
he, "if you go, I will go with you." We had not yet told 
him of the news, but did so immediately. We then talked 
over the whole matter, and finally, the same evening, all 
three of us started off to see Beauclerc. We found him as 
ourselves, but how to get away was a more difficult 
question. He had lately got married, and it was out of 
the question to take his wife with him on what might, 
after all, be but a wild goose chase. We left him, finally, 
with our own minds fully made up to go, but Beauclerc was 
to talk the matter over with his wife and determine what he 
would do. Taft and m^'self had Australia on the brain at 
fever heat. Loveland did not say much, but was, like the 
Irishman's parrot, thinking. We expected him to talk 
soon, and so he did. We sent Taft down to San Francisco 
to see about a ship. There was no more work to be done, 
for we suddenly discovered that our claim was worked 
out. Taft having gone, Loveland and I went about set- 
tling up our affairs. I had some money due me of which I 
collected a part and left the remainder of the claim with 
Hubbard & Hodge to collect and remit to mv father 
and mother. They collected it promptly and paid it over 
to the jDerson holding my father's order therefor, but my 
father never received but forty dollars out of the several 
hundred. My indignation has no limit when I contemplate 
the meanness of a man who will cheat or rob an old 
father of mone}^ sent him by his absent son to make his 
last days a little more comfortable. And I have some- 
times thought that I could enjoy great exaltation of spirit 
if I could be absolutely assured of a hell — at least a depart- 



204 THE CABIN DOOR LOCKED. 

ment in Dante's 'Inferno' of about the temperature of a 
Turkish bath, fitted up expressly as the permanent resi- 
dence in the spirit world of such as have wronged aged 
fathers and mothers. I have withheld the faithless man's 
name as I would avoid afflicting his family or relations, 
but hope if he still lives and these few lines should chance 
to meet his eye, he may be conscious of the great wrong 
and hereafter do work meet for repentance. 

We now gathered together our mining tools and what 
provisions and bedding we did not take with us, locked 
up the hut and went into town and stayed the first night 
to be in time for the early morning stage for Sacramento, 
leaving the key of the hut with John Proctor, to be given 
to the first Farmington bo}^ that should come. Proctor 
had been home since I left him in Mar\'sville, and come 
back again to Nevada, and had gone into the milk business. 
The fare by coach to Sacramento, about seventy-five 
miles, was sixteen dollars. All kinds of fevers are more or 
less contagious, but I know of none that equals the gold- 
fever. It is fatal even among old acclimated California 
miners, hardly less than the Asiatic cholera in eastern 
cities. Loveland, Taft and m^'self were the first victims in 
Nevada City, but it spread rapidly, and others were soon 
as bad as ourselves. Martin Costler, who was always 
ready for a start for a new place, was ready then and 
there ; Chester Babbet and L. 0. Hart, from New York state ; 
and Henrj^ G. Nichols, from Twinsburg, Ohio. George 
Scott, of the Empire gambling house, and his wife took the 
fever, which carried them off "between two da^^s." George 
was one of the most forwivin;2f men I ever knew. He said 



ARRIVE AT SACRAMENTO. 205 

he freely forgave his creditors and hoped they would be 
equally considerate towards him. Beauclerc had now 
made arrangements with Scott and wife at Rock Creek to 
keep his wife, so in the course of a week there were eleven 
in all "carried off," including Loveland, Taft and myself. 
We arrived in Sacramento the same day w^e left Nevada 
City. Sacramento, even at that early day, was a citv of 
some ten thousand inhabitants, handsomely laid out in 
square blocks, the streets running one way being indicated 
by numbers and the other way by letters. The buildings 
generall}^ were of rather a temporary character, although 
some were very imposing to the eye. A great number on 
the back streets were of canvas. The city was situated 
near the junction of the American and Sacramento rivers. 
There was a large amount of business transacted there, as 
it was the principal outlet and depot to all the mountain 
towns and gold diggings. I met, while there, a man 
known to many in northern Ohio— David Brooks of Bris- 
tol, Trumbull county. He was in the auction business. 
We only remained here long enough to obtain the first 
steamer for San Francisco, where we arrived earlv the 
next morning, and were not long in finding Taft who had 
been there some two or three days. He informed us that 
there were two ships bound for Sidney, one the barque 
Don Juan, the other the ship Constant, but that neither 
would sail for two or three weeks. This was a great dis- 
appointment, but there was no remedy — what could not 
be cured must be endured— so we took up our quarters at 
the Commercial hotel, a very comfortable house on the 
Pacific wharf In a day or two all the others afflicted 



206 SAN FRANCISCO IN '52. 

with the Australian epidemic, arrived. While waiting for 
the ship, the onlj^ thing we could do was to go about the 
city sight-seeing. 

San Francisco contained at that time, 1852, a popula- 
tion of about fifteen thousand. It had been twice com- 
pletely destroj^ed by fire, but a stranger going into it as we 
did could not see a single sign of the destroying element. 
At least one-half of the city was built on piles, and under- 
neath houses and streets the tide ebbed and flowed. The 
two principal streets leading down to the bay were Long 
and Pacific, and Montgomery was the principal cross 
street running through the town. There were already 
some large fire-proof buildings upon the latter street, 
banking houses and express offices, such as Adams & Co., 
Page, Bacon & Co.; in fact, Montgomery was to San 
Francisco what Wall street is to New York or Lombard 
street is to London. Gambling palaces were plenty, and 
of humbler or lower ones there was no end. Long wharf 
was the chief quarters of high-toned aristocratic gambling. 
Cut-throat and land-shark gamblers were largely located 
on Pacific wharf, and manypoorfools were there daih' and 
nightly fleeced, in fact, robbed of their money. Served 
them right, I say, for if a man has no more sense than to 
visit such places and allow himself to be duped by swin- 
dlers, he is not fit to have monev. Those located alonsf 
Pacific wharf were not entitled to be designated as gam- 
blers ; they were simply cut-throats and thieves. 

I will describe a game I witnessed up in the mines. It 
was easy enough for me to detect the cheat, although 
only a bo}' ; yet I have seen plenty of full-grown men that 



THE ABC GAME. 207 

Tv'ould take the bait. It is played with dice, three in num- 
ber, and is called the ABC game. There are six letters on 
each die, and sometimes all three letters turn up at the 
same time. If you have backed that letter the banker 
pays you three times the amount you have staked. To 
carry out the thieving principle the banker must have 
two accomplices. The banker sits at the middle of the 
table and throws the dice. One of his accomplices stands 
at a corner opposite, the second at the corner opposite 
the fir.:.t and a little behind the banker. After the banker 
has thrown the dice, the accomplice opposite produces a 
a fifty gold piece or "slug" and wants change. The 
banker takes the gold piece and reaches over to count out 
the money, and while doing so accomplice number two 
pretends to lift the dice-box unbeknown to the banker, 
and if, perchance, there are three of a kind, he takes good 
care to let all the others standing around see it. He at 
once puts all the money he has on the letter that was 
seen under the dice-box, when his example is followed by 
one or more dupes. Then the banker says, "Are you all 
down ? Bet your money, gentlemen, this bank pays three 
to one." When all have put down their money he lifts the 
box, and to the disappointment of the dupes, the dice have 
been turned and not a letter that had been seen before is 
ni sight, and the banker pockets their money. If they 
dare say a word in protest they are soon silenced. I don't 
wish to be understood that all games are conducted in this 
manner, or that this style of gaming is necessarily a 
swindle, for the ABC game fairly played is just as fair as 
any, though, of course, like all games, the percentage is 



208 HAPPY VALLEY — VIGILANCE COMMITTEE. 

largely in the banker's favor, but that the class of men 
who run this game were almost invariably swindlers and 
thieves. There were houses that would not tolerate 
swindling and were p3rfectly honorable in their dealings. 
Gambling was the pastime of the Pacific coast, and there 
were not many but indulged therein to some extent, as 
business men now in all cities resort to billiards and other 
games for temporary recreation. But the places where 
practices such as I have described were allowed, were dens 
of thieves. 

Southwestof the city was old Wind-mill hill, and directly 
back was a chain of sand hills where a steam "paddy" 
was at work, which loaded a truck at every stroke. The 
sand was run down and filled into the bay ; and nowmany 
acres of what was then the bay, constitute as many acres 
of solid land covered with buildings of four, five and six 
stories in height, and the sand removed to fill up the bay 
cleared away the great sand dunes, adding many acres of 
level land for the city's extension west, thus figuratively 
killing two birds with one stone. The rural surroundings 
of San Francisco I had no observation of at that time, 
though the Happy Valley was supposed to be as charming 
even then as the famed valley of Rasselas, prince of Abys- 
sinia. It is some three miles out on the road to the old 
Spanish mission, which was established and the church 
erected some two hundred years ago, as I was informed, 
but cannot speak positively of my own knowledge, as it 
was considerably before my day. 

The vigilance committee was still in force, but at the 
time they had very little to do. A short time before our ar- 



CONTRA COSTA — CLAM CHOWDKli AND BEER. 209 

rival, there had been a great excitement over the hanging of 
Whitaker, McKensie and Stuart. All three were convicts 
from Van Diemen's Land. Thetwofirst named were taken 
from jail and hanged for murder and robbery. The last 
named was caught in the attempt to make away with a 
small iron safe he had managed to remove from some office 
near the docks, and had got it into a boat and was rowing 
across the bay when he was caught, though not before he 
threw the safe overboard. He was brought ashore and 
marched up to a warehouse, a rope was adjusted to his 
neck, and he was run up on the pulley by which goods were 
hoisted. Captain Wakeman superintended the brief cere- 
monies. 

While awaiting our ship's sailing, I made one trip across 
the ba\^ to Contra Costa, as it was then called, a distance 
of some ten miles, in a sail-boat, and went out into the 
country about three miles blackberrjnng. When I came 
back to the town of about a dozen houses I indulged in a 
dish of clam chowder, the first and probably the last I 
shall ever eat, if it is all like the clam chowder of Contra 
Costa, which impressed upon my mind as lasting memory 
of the place. It was as obnoxious to my taste as the first 
glass of beer I ever drank. One hot day I saw people step- 
ping up to the bar and calling for a glass of beer. I saw 
the white foam and it looked very tempting, and so I called 
for one. I had only tasted it when I would willingly have 
given a dollar if someone had stepped up and drank it for 
me, but I had called for it and was ashamed to leave it, 
and so I had to worry it down. 

At that time there were two lines of ocean steamers, 



210 OCEAN STEAMERS. 

the Panama and the Central America. While I was there 
the Wintield Scott came in on her first trip— the largest 
passenger steamer that had ever come around the Horn. 
When Loveland and I first arrived in San Francisco and 
engaged lodgings in the hotel, we were told that the house 
wasfull,butif wehad no objections to another room-mate, 
they could accommodate us— that he was one of the best 
of fellows. So we consented, provided the stranger would 
accept us. We were shown up and found that our roomer 
was not in, so we washed and breakfasted and then went 
out about the city. When we returned we went to our 
room. We found it full. Upon coming in our future mate 
introduced himself, and the rest of the company as his 
friends. He appeared to be very much of a gentleman, and 
played the violin like Ole Bull, which was enough to make 
lis take to him at once. His name was James Hull, second 
officer of the Pacific mail steamer Oregon, which was then 
undergoing repairs at Benecia. The others were officers 
of other steamers then in port, either just arrived or about 
to leave. One was Darius Pollock, a rather young man 
to hold the office of second engineer, I thought, especiall}' 
when I listened to his rattlingconversation, and I remarked 
the same to Hull, who told me I would change my mind 
when r knew him better, and particularly if I should once 
see him on duty. Hull told me how Pollock came by his 
early promotion. He was coming up from Panama, Captain 
Knight, the head man of the Pacific mail line of steamers, 
being on board, when a little girl, playing on the hurricane 
deck, fell overboard, the steamer being under full way, some 
ten miles an hour. Pollock saw the child fall, and in an 



THE YOUTHFUL ENGINEER. 211 

instant he was over after her, striking the water almost 
as soon as she did. They both went down out of sight, 
and those on board who witnessed the scene thought 
they would rise no more, so long were they under water. 
Presently, however, he appeared, holding up the little 
girl with one hand and with the other striking out for the 
steamer. It was stopped as soon as possible, boats were 
lowered, and they were both picked up and soon safe on 
board, the little girl only the worse for the wetting. Pol- 
lock immediatel}' went down into the engine room as if 
nothing had happened. A purse was soon raised by the 
passengers to present to him as a testimonial of their grat- 
itude for his heroic deed. He was called up to receive the 
purse, but to their surprise he declined it, saying he had 
only done his duty — that it was the duty of all men to 
save a life when they had the opportunity. Upon that Cap- 
tain Knight stepped forward and complimented him upon 
having done his duty so nobly and so well, and said that 
lie also had a duty to perform, and at once, then and there, 
publicly promoted him to the position of second engineer. 
Pollock was a fearless man and sometimes a little reck- 
less, but withal a good-hearted fellow. One dav I rode 
out with him and some of the other boys to Happy Valley, 
and on our return, rather late in the evening, Pollock took 
a notion to call at the house of an acquaintance and rouse 
him out of bed. The door being locked, he commenced to 
rattle away at the latch to awaken his friend. Suddenly a 
head appeared at an upper window and demanded to 
know who was there. He did not answer, but rattled 
still more at the latch. "Go away," said the man at the 



212 SPURS AND A SHIRT COLLAR. 

window, "or I will shoot" — at the same time presenting a 
pistol — one of Allen's six-barrel pepper-boxes, as they were 
called, good for shooting around corners — and commenced 
to pop away at Pollock, who stood all the while with one 
arm akimbo, saying, "Look out, be careful with that d — d 
thing; you might hit somebody ! " His voice and peculiarity 
of expression disclosed who he was, and the friend came 
down, unlocked the door and let us all in. The affair was 
considered a good joke, none of the party seeming to con- 
sider the danger of such careless shooting. 

There was one Frank Beaubie whom we met in 'Frisco,, 
that somealive and still sailing on thelakes mayremember 
as commander of the Canadian steamer Lo/3c7o/2. He was 
first mate of the mail steamer Oregon. I afterwards 
met a cousin of his in Australia. Benecia was the place 
up the bay where steamers underwent repairs, conse- 
quently it was a great rendezvous for the officers and crews; 
when laid up. A party of us went up there one day, among 
whom was one Charlie Taylor. In the course of the even- 
ing Charlie imbibed so freely of the elixir of life that the 
boys had to put him to bed ; but before leaving him they 
took all his clothes, even to his shirt. When he awoke in 
the morning, he found his clothes gone. The others were 
at breakfast, expecting every moment to be sent for by 
Charlie. Presently there was a commotion on the stairs 
and a jingling of a pair of Mexican spurs, and the waiters 
barring his way, telling him he could not come down in 
that condition. Looking in to see what was the matter, 
there stood Charlie in full costume of nature, decorated 
with a pair of Mexican spurs and a shirt collar. His 



THE "don JUAN." 213 

clothes were brought forth, and peace was restored be- 
tween Charlie and the w^aiters. The whole three weeks we 
were waiting in 'Frisco, our room \vas full of cheerful and 
friendly persons, which was a great benefit to us who were 
necessitated to kill time, being always ready to show vis 
every civility and attention. They were gentlemanly in 
manners, young and full of fun, and able and willing to 
bear their proportion of expenses. We were enabled through 
them to see and know more of the city than otherwise we 
could have seen and known, as they knew all the ropes, 
as the saying is, and would let no stranger in their com- 
pany be imposed upon. 

The time was drawing near for our departure, and w^e 
had all decided to take the Don Juan, a barque of some 
three hundred tons register. She had been laid up in the 
bay over two years, having, like many other vessels in the 
early days of the gold rush to California, been deserted by 
the whole crew and never been able to put to sea again. 
The Don Juan had been purchased by Smith & Son, and 
laid on for the Australian passenger trade. The fare was 
$60. The captain that was to have sailed her was Tucker, 
but upon pulHng out into the stream, his creditors remem- 
bered him with such depth of feeling that, like Pharaoh, 
their hearts were hardened, and they would not "let him 
go." They got out an attachment for his body, and the 
consequence was that after being ready to sail, our barque 
had no captain. After some delay. Captain John Sears 
took command. He was a young man of about twenty- 
two years, every w^ay competent to assume the responsi- 
bilities of any ship that ever sailed the Pacific ocean. 



214 MEETING OHIO BOYS. 

Before leaving Nevada City, we had had letters from 
home telling us some more Farmington boys had started 
for California, and that we might expect them on the ar- 
rival of the steamer iVortiz America. Word came to 'Frisco 
that the steamer had been wrecked down on the coast off 
Acapulco, and the sailing ship Northern Light was sent 
down there to bring up the passengers. We had been on 
the lookout some days, hoping to see the boys before we 
sailed, and while we were anchored in the bay, waiting for 
our new captain, the Northern Light came inside the 
Golden Gate, passed us and dropped anchor. This put 
Loveland, Taft and myself into great excitement to seethe 
boys from home. Upon inquiry, we found our ship would 
not sail till five o'clock the next morning, and that we 
could go if we were sure to be aboard again by that time. 
So we got a boat and went ashore and, to make sure of 
our return in time, hired the boatman to stop for us all the 
while, that there might be no default of reaching our ship 
in time. We had not gone two hundred yards up the 
wharf when I heard a voice say, "There is Charlie Fergu- 
son. I know him." Sure enough, there were three of the 
boys from home, schoolmates, with whom I had played, 
swam Grand river, and changed works when our 
fathers had set us some little task to do, which we 
thought could not be done alone. And now, here on Pa- 
cific wharf in California, after years of absence and wan- 
dering, I met Milo Griffith, one of those boys, and all my 
boyhood recollections were revived. I was delighted to 
see them all, and our feelings were mutual. 

They had been shipwrecked and had been compelled to 



ALL ABOARD— REFLECTIONS. 215 

stay in Acapulco until their money was all gone, and had 
now been landed here with neither money nor friends, as 
they supposed, until they unexpectedly ran across us. 
They had two others with them, strangers to us, who were 
in the same predicament as our friends, and of course had 
to be provided for, as an old California miner never makes 
flesh of one and fish of another when the necessities of life 
are wanted. We gave the boys enough to pay their ex- 
penses up to their hut, told them to go to John Proctor 
for the key, take possession, and if they liked they could go 
into our claim and make wages, which, since my return, 
they have told me they did. We, of course, were up with 
them all night until about three o'clock, when we parted 
from them. By this time our boatman began to show 
signs of weariness, and so we entered the boat and pulled 
for the Don Juan, and were on deck a few minutes before 
she weighed anchor. Soon we were outside the Golden 
Gate, myself little thinking that thirtj^-one years would 
roll around before I should again set foot upon American 
soil ; that before my return, the goddess of history would 
multiply her pages in recording the rise and fall of empires, 
the crumbling of thrones, the oscillation of France and 
Spain between a monarchy and a republic, the unification 
of Italy, civil war in the United States and the emancipa- 
tion of the slave,the Suez canal, Sedan and the German 
empire, the rediscovery of the sources of the Nile, the Pa- 
cific railway, the electric light and the telephone — won- 
drous events of a single generation. 



216 GOLDEN GATE PASSED. 



CHAPTER XIV. 

Pass the Golden Gate — Bound for Australia — Seasickness — 
Pumping— Passengers— Society Islands— Deficiekcy of Supplies 
— Becalmed— Crossing the Line— Neptune's Reception — Tahiti 
Experiences and Sports — The Calaboose — Quack Doctor — A 
Duel — Heir to a Dukedom— Brother of an Earl. 

HAVING passed the Golden Gate, bound for Australia, 
I turned into my berth, beginning to feel a little 
queer about the stomach. The ship seemed at one 
moment rising to the skies and that my stomach was 
going with it, while it was struggling to escape from my 
frail body in its ascent ; then again, after reaching the top- 
most pinnacle, came the descent, seemingly into the lowest 
depths of the infernal regions, when my rebellious stomach 
would strike out on an excursion of its own, greatly to 
the misery of my body and mind. I la^^ for a time unable 
to raise my head, but at last, somewhere between another 
rise andfall of the ship, my stomach discharged its super- 
fluous cargo; but there I lay still perfect^ helpless and 
only conscious that at every plunge of the ship m}^ stom- 
ach, of its own volition and upon its own motion, dis- 
charged copiously its contents — foul, bitter and deathly. 
I never till then had any conception of the vast capacity 



SEASICKNESS AND PUMPING. 217 

•of the human stomach, or of the misery of sea-sickness. 
On the third day out, peace had been partially restored in 
my late rebellious stomach, and I crawled out on deck to 
see what was going on, and found everything there at 
sixes and sevens. The barque had been laid up for over 
two years, was dry, and the consequence was, that upon 
getting out to sea, she leaked at every pore. The pumps 
had to be kept in motion the whole time; besides, they 
were obliged to erect what sailors call a jury pump, at 
which the passengers had to work in order to keep the old 
barque afloat. All was confusion on deck, some of the 
passengers being in favor of putting back to port. The 
captain told them she would soon swell up and be all 
right, which seemed to quiet them for awhile; but soon 
they became more clamorous than ever, and demanded 
that the captain put her about for port. It was then that 
the captain showed what kind of stuff' he was made of. 
He listened and heard them through and at once ordered 
every man of them forward, informing them that he was 
sailing that vessel and needed no advice from them and 
should listen to none. They all sneaked forward like so 
many sheep-dogs caught in the act. 

As for myself, I had not sufficiently recovered to take any 
interest in the matter. What was it to me whether she 
sank or not? If my life had been at stake on the tossino- 
up of a penny, I would not have taken interest enouo^h to 
see if head or tail was up. Such is seasickness, or such it 
was to me on the DonJuanuntW we touched at the Society 
islands. Among the American ])ortion of the passeno-ers 
we had with us, besides those I have alreadv mentioned 



218 PASSENGERS OF THE "DON JUAN." 

that left Nevada City, was John Bodkin, John B. Casserdy,. 
Cornelius Redding, all from Mucalomey Hill mines, and one 
Cartwright and wife, or rather another man's wife that 
he had borrowed, and, like the Crow Indians, was not 
going to bring her back. There were also a few English- 
men — one named Lord, who boasted of royal blood, which 
is characteristic of one class of Mr. Bull's subjects, and 
everybody who has traveled knows to which class they 
belong, and I never knew anyone who wished to meet 
them again; and more especially are they detested by 
intelligent and sensible Englishmen themselves. I will say 
right here that some of the best friends I ever had in my 
life were Englishmen. And here on the Don Juan were 
Harry Taylor, Elliot, Warberton, all gentlemanly young 
men as ever one would like to meet. There was also a 
young man from Tasmania, or Van Diemen's Land, as it 
was then called ; also Mr. Guy, another first-rate, gentle- 
manly fellow. With a few exceptions, the names of which I 
have forgotten, or perhaps never knew, the remainder of 
the passengers were the scum of creation. All, or nearly 
all, had been "old residents" — convicts of Van Diemen's 
Land — a few doubly convicted at that. They had escaped 
from Van Diemen's Land upon the gold rush to California, 
but were now going back to the Victoria diggings for the 
reason that San Francisco was too hot for them. Besides, 
they were wise enough not to disregard the polite notice 
of the vigilance committee to leave the coast. Terrific 
were the threats the^^ showered down upon us, our country, 
California, San Francisco and the vigilance committee, 
but welooked upon them with thecontcmpt they deserved. 



SHORT SUPPLIES. 219 

yet treated them civilly as human beings, which is onl}' a. 
duty and costs nothing. 

After we had been at sea some seven or eight days, our 
old tub got tightened up and did not leak so much, the 
passengers began to have more faith in her, and all or 
nearly all had begun to get over the seasickness and to 
look about. As for myself, I was always more or less 
qualmish, and my greatest trouble now was to find a place 
on board that would not smell of tobacco smoke, which 
I could not abide. Though I had taken two boxes of cigars 
aboard, I could not bear the smell or even the sight 
of the boxes. I would go and crawl into the captain's 
boat and lie there for hours to get out of the way, but 
as sure as I did so, just so sure there would a half dozen 
or more assemble in the immediate vicinity, all smoking 
and standing where the smoke was sure to come over to 
me; and the prayers I uttered as I picked up my sticks 
sounded much like a eulogy addressed to Old Nick. 

The captain coming on board at the eleventh hour be- 
fore sailing had not had time to investigate the matter of 
the ship's supply, and for the first few days out he had not 
time to do so. The intention was to sail direct to Sidney, 
but upon looking into the ship's supplies he found we had 
not provisions enough to take us half way there. Had 
he known this at first he would have steered directW to the 
Sandwich islands, but now we were too far south and 
would have to make back, so he concluded to steer for the 
Society islands, in latitude 18° south, longitude 150°. 
When within some four or five degrees of the equator we 
were becalmed for three or four days. If there is any one 



220 Neptune's reception. 

thing more than another that will try one's patience, it is 
being on board a ship with scanty provisions of an in- 
ferior quality, under the equator where it is so hot that 
pitch fries out of the cracks of the decks, and the majority 
of the company are Van Diemen's Land convicts, and 
then to cap the climax to be becalmed for several da\'s. 
Job, under such an affliction, would have been strongly 
tempted, for once, to have taken the advice of his high- 
spirited and "strong-minded" wife. Like all other troubles, 
even a calm in tropical seas has an end. Happily there 
came a breeze, but oh, what a little one, a zeph^^r of small 
calibre, the breath of a baby, yet what a relief, what a 
blessing! The sails gathered it as in a net and gradually 
swelled in seeming gratitude and the ship actually moved, 
three or four knots an hour barely, but it was better than 
standing still in the midst of the sea. So we were now 
more contented and took our course for the Society 
islands, but a long way out of our course. 

It is customary among sailors of all ships, or all that 
I have been aboard of, to celebrate the crossing of the 
equatorial line. The sailors of the Don Juan made great 
preparations for the event. The night before the line is 
crossed, the ship is hailed wath, "Ship ahoy!" from over 
the bow. Thecaptain answers, "Barque Z)o72/wa/2 " King 
Neptune asks if he has any of his children aboard that 
have never before been in his dominions? Upon being 
answered in the affirmative, King Nep tells him that 
lie will be aboard the next day at twelve o'clock, with his 
whole retinue and royal family, to receive them and in- 
itiate them as subjects of his kingdom. During the next 



REACH TAHITI. 221 

day the sailors get everything ready for the reception of 
his royal highness. A platform is built, behind which is hung 
up a large water-tight canvas, made secure by the four 
corners and filled with water. A barber's chair is placed 
upon the platform, constructed so as to tip completely 
over back upon a given signal, turning the occupant back 
into the large canvas sea of salt water, when two sailors im- 
mediately seize the victim and dip and splash him around 
until he is greatly exhausted-and nearly drowned. At the 
appointed day and hour his majesty and retinue came on 
board the Don Juan, and the performance opened by shav- 
ing those that had never crossed the line before. The cap- 
tain warned those who took part in the ceremonies not 
to interfere with those that did not wish to join in the 
sport. This caution was rather a damper on the star 
actors on the stage, for their prime object was to get hold 
of such of the crowd as were considered by the majority 
of passengers to be the most conceited and disagreeable, 
and subject them to the shaving process. So, on the 
whole, this royal reception was rather a tame affair. But 
I afterwards witnessed one of Neptune's receptions on 
board the mail steamer Zealandria that was really amus- 
ing. The arrival on board the night previous to crossing 
was equal to the parade of Forepaugh's circus through 
a city before performance, and the next day it was equally 
as ludicrous as any Ethiopian company. 

Neptune barbering being over on the Don Juan, and the 
breeze freshening up and being favorable, which, by the 
way, was the only absolutely favorable wind we ever got 
on the whole voyage, we reached Tahiti in about ten 



222 TAHITI AND INHABITANTS. 

daj's. Tahiti was then a little bamboo village, situated 
in the centre of one of the main group of the Society 
islands. It was protected by a coral reef with a ver}^ nar- 
row entrance, almost too narrow to be safe for a ship to 
enter in rough weather, but when once inside it afforded 
safe protection for a fleet of considerable size. There were 
two French war ships there when we arrived. The French 
government had lately taken possession of the islands, 
and it was then under martial law. The whole harbor 
was surrounded by a coral reef. The mighty works of 
those little marine insects are wonderful to contemplate. 
The anchor of our vessel was scarceh^ dropped before it was 
surrounded by canoes of the natives, they begging us 
to throw^ money over and see them dive for it. As soon 
as a dime was thrown into the water, half a dozen would 
be over after it, going to the bottom if necessar^^ Soon 
one of them would appear holding the silver coin in his 
fingers. So expert were they in the w^atery element that I 
never knew one of them to fail of catching the coin before 
it reached the bottom. We soon went ashore and were 
notified by the authorities that we were only allowed to 
remain on shore till sundown, when we must return to 
our ship until sunrise the next day, and that we would 
be notified to go by the firing of a gun, and the same when 
we would be permitted to come on shore again. Although 
I was there six days, I never was on board ship but once 
in that time, and that was to get more money to go back 
with. 

The inhabitants of the town, that is, the foreign portion, 
consisted of the United States consul, who had a store 



ROAST PIG OF TAHITI. 223 

and dealt with the natives for fruit, and sometimes with a 
whaler or other ships that might put in there. There was 
3.n English consul and one or two other Englishmen who 
came there from Sidney. One John Br^^an kept the "Pat- 
ent Slip." He was a pretty genial sort of fellow, also 
from Sidney. His house took its name from the considera- 
tion of a place he had to slip the boys into when the gens 
d'armes (French police) were after them to run them into 
the calaboose, a place they were sure to go to if John Cra 
peau got hold of them. The balance of the people con- 
sisted of French officers, gens d'armes, a class of men we 
did not much admire, and convicts escaped from penal 
servitude. I had not been on shore more than half an 
hour before I felt that all my sickness had left me. I had 
not, during the entire voyage, sat at a table to eat a meal ; 
but no sooner had I got ashore than I began to feel 
hungry. John, at the Patent Slip, supplied our wants 
with both victuals and drink at what we then considered a 
very reasonable price ; besides, he was very civil and oblig- 
ing. After getting a good meal, we went in for tropical 
fruit. There was everything we ever heard of, and much 
more— oranges, pine-apples, bread-fruit, and other kinds too 
numerous to mention. There were suckling pigs, cooked 
by the natives as no other people can cook them. I have 
tried French, Italian, English and American roast pig, but 
no pig ever surpassed the Tahiti cookery. 
■ The morning after our arrival, the first thing was to 
visit the calaboose and see how many poor victims had 
found lodgings there. They were not discharged till eight 
•o'clock, so we were compelled to wait some time. At last 



224 THE PRISON AND POLICE. . 

they came boiling out, over sixty in number, all of whom 
had to pay two dollars to be released. Of course they 
looked rather crestfallen, for none of them liked the idea 
of being laughed at, as they expected to be by those that 
had been more fortunate. There were four or five of our 
crowd among them, and they got it rather tough, and 
some of them swore that they would see the rest of us in 
if they had to turn gens d'armes themselves to do it. They 
did not have to wait long to get their wish, for I don't 
think there were more than three or four but what had a 
night's lodging in the calaboose of Tahiti while our vessel 
was in port. The second night I had a run and narrow 
escape myself. Taft and I were together waiting for the 
police to pass, and finally, thinking they had done so, went 
to bed, but had not been there more than five minutes 
before they suddenly rushed in upon us. I jumped and 
rushed through the bamboo house, the officers after me in 
hot pursuit. They were so anxious to catch me that they 
neglected Taft and all followed me, I never stopping to 
put on my clothes. When I got clear into the orange 
grove my pursuers were far behind, but in running I lost 
my way, and after resting for awhile undertook to find 
my way back, but the more I tried the more I became 
bewildered, and wandered about for a full hour. My feet 
were bare and I had stubbed and bruised them until I 
could go no further, and sat down under an orange tree. 
But morning was soon coming, as I supposed, and it would 
not do for me to be caught in that plight. It seemed to 
me as if I had been there four hours, so I tore up my shirt 
into bandages and wrapped them around my feet and 



JUMPING THE BAMBOO FENCE. 225 

made another start, this time with better success, for I 
had not traveled long before I found the Patent Slip. I 
forgot to mention that after the officers had once been their 
rounds, there was no further trouble for the night. I 
knocked at the door and heard a great rustling and whis- 
pering inside, then all was quiet and John came to the 
door and asked who was there. "It is I," I answered, 
"all right, John." I heard at the same time a voice from 
the inside say, "All right, it is Charlie." John opened the 
door and in I walked with nothing but my shirt sleeves 
and collar, the remainder tied around my feet. I told my 
story, and John, knowing where I had been, took me back 
to my lodgings where Taft was, who had my clothes all 
right. As they had all pursued me, Taft had remained 
undisturbed. 

The next time, however, I w^as not so fortunate, but I 
had more fun. Three "gendies " gave me chase. I lit out, 
but in jumping a bamboo fence my coat caught and delayed 
me some, and they were so close upon me that I was 
obliged to leave my garment, as did Joseph when he took 
leave of Mrs. Potiphar. Immediately in front of me was 
a pond of water, and into it I jumped and the officers after 
me, and soon I had all three of them on me at once. I suc- 
ceeded somehow in ducking all three in the struggle, and 
before they could regain their feet I got out, but only to 
meet two more. In trying to dodge them I slipped and 
fell, and then the five were on meat once. I took the mat- 
ter good-naturedly and tried to buy them off, but it was 
of no use, I had to go, and go I did. On our way to the 
lockup, as we passed a house I heard a great commotion, 



226 ANOTHER QUACK DOCTOR. • 

and the gendieswere flying in every direction, when at last 
I saw a man fall to the ground, and in a moment the 
officers w^ere upon him. I heard him exclaim, "O Lord, 
this is awful ! " I knew who it was and roared out laugh- 
ing. That made him mad, and he spitefully asked what in 
h — II found to laugh at. He was very surly. We went 
to the lockup and found about a dozen others already 
booked, and soon there were some twenty or more guests 
for the night. The jailer was a good-natured Frenchman 
driving a good trade with the prisoners and running a 
coffee bar. In the morning, Costler and I gave the jailer a 
dollar each extra, to let us off half an hour earlier than the 
rest, hoping to escape observation. He let us out at the 
back gate, but the first persons we met on getting outside 
■were Beauclerc and Loveland, who were on the lookout 
for us. We told them we had been inside to see if any of 
the boys were there. But that story did not pan out worth 
a cent with them — they knew better. We both gave fic- 
titious names, I registering as Captain John Sears. The 
captain afterwards told me that some of thebo^-s had used 
his name and he wished he knew who it was. I did not 
tell him it was I until we were in Sidney. 

Our doctor, an Englishman named Wilson, was one of 
the most conceited old quacks I ever knew. He was no 
more of a doctor than I was. One evening, all being on 
board the vessel, the doctor and one Lord, another English- 
man, got into a row, both )3eing pretty drunk. Lord 
claimed to have been insulted, and unless the doctor got 
down on his knees and apologized, he must meet him at 
fifteen paces the next morning. The doctor stood off a 



HIGH BORN DUELISTS. 227 

little distance, and in response merely muttered, "Polly 
h — 1"; whereupon Lord struck him, saying he could take 
that, but it was beneath the brother of an earl to stoop 
so low as to meet every old quack that turned up and 
fight a duel with him ; that he. Lord, was a gentleman 
by birth, and the doctor was not. The doctor was now 
in turn as greatly insulted as Lord had been. When we 
went ashore again, we took pains to get both of them 
with us, determined to have some fun before the matter 
ended. The doctor had an interview with Beauclerc, who 
of course told him that no gentleman could brook such an 
insult as he had received from Lord, and that blood alone 
could wipe out the stain upon his character. The doctor 
asked Beauclerc to act as his friend. A challenge was car- 
ried to Lord, upon reading which he seemed to weaken. 
Beauclerc told him he must meet the doctor if he expected 
to hold up his head in society, that if he refused he would 
be looked upon as a coward. Lord tried to get out of it 
on the assumption that the doctor was beneath him in birth 
and social rank, but Beauclerc soon settled that by telling 
him that the doctor was heir to a dukedom, that Wilson 
was an assumed name, that he was only traveling incognito 
for his ease and comfort. That settled it with Lord, for 
he thought he would never have another opportunity that 
would enable him to say that he had met a duke in an 
affair of honor. All scruples being now overcome, the next 
thing was to find a "friend." Lord knew that was a most 
difficult matter, as he had not one on the ship. Beauclerc 
referred him to me, telling him I was as near being a gen- 
tleman as it was possible for an American to be, that the 



228 THE DUEL. 

President of the United States was my uncle on my mother's 
side, and that all my ancestors on my father's side claimed 
royal blood from the ancient kings of Ireland. Lord did 
not take much stock in that kind of royalty, but he knew 
Beauclerc was an Irishman with a French name, and did 
not like to offend him, and so he applied to me. Of course, 
I was informed of the arrangement. He showed me the 
challenge. I looked grave but unconcerned, as though it 
was an every morning's amusement before breakfast. 
Beauclerc and I arranged for the meeting to take place at 
two p. M., in an orange grove, the affair to be strictly pri- 
vate, though we had taken care that at least some twenty 
of the boys should know of it. We had hard work to 
keep up the courage of the principals, which could only be 
done by steam, which we found rather expensive, as both 
required a good deal of fuel. As the time drew near, their 
courage began to fail. Lord said he had no ill feelings 
towards the doctor, that perhaps he had been a little hasty 
in his remarks. The doctor told his second that he thought 
the affair ought to be settled, that being the ship's doctor 
perhaps he ought not to meet Lord, that the young man 
appeared to be very much of a gentleman, that in his ex- 
citement he had perhaps overstepped propriety. Beauclerc 
got alarmed, and sent word to me to be sure and keep 
Lord out of the way, and keep up his steam by wood and 
water in his engine, and to set my w^atch half an hour 
ahead. Arriving on the grounds, we took care to keep the 
antagonists a respectable distance from each other until 
the arrangements were completed. The seconds met be- 
tween them and loaded the pistols for a sham fight. I 



THE CODE OF HONOR SATISFIED. 229 

won the choice of ground — he to give the word — distance 
fifteen paces. There was considerable delay after every- 
thing was ready, as first one and then the other would 
want to know through his second, if the affair could not 
be settled without blood. Each received answer that the 
other was determined. The word was given — one, two, 
three, four, five — they to fire between three and five. At 
three, both pistols were discharged. Both Lord and the 
doctor were mutually surprised, and rejoiced that each 
still lived, and dropping their pistols, they rushed to each 
other's embrace. There was not an orange tree in the 
grove but from which was heard a roar of laughter. The 
boys had each climbed a tree, to keep from being seen and 
to witness the tragedy. The doctor began to see the drift 
tilings had taken towards them, and soon retired. Neither 
he nor Lord showed themselves on shore again w^hile w^e 
were in port. Thus ended the affair of honor between the 
heir to a dukedom of England and a lord, the brother of 
an earl. 



230 DEPARTURE FROM TAHITI. 



CHAPTER XV. 

Leave Tahiti— Reduced to Beans— Prospect of Casting Lots— Job's 
Comforter— Insanity from Hunger— Norfolk Island — Captain 
Price — Soldiers — Prisoners— Punishments — The Clergyman — 
Hanging Persons "Comfortably" — Pigs and Poultry— Sidney, 
Australia — Arrive at Melbourne. 

THE captain was now determined to sail on the fol- 
lowing day. He had succeeded in getting some 
provisions which he had to pay for from his private purse. 
We did not care if the ship never sailed. The day after 
the duel, all hands were ordered on board ; therefore, we 
had to go, for the French would not allow any further 
delay, but if they had, I think half of the passengers would 
have stayed. We got off the next day, but after just get- 
ting outside the coral reefs, we were becalmed. Some 
were in hopes the tide would run us on the reefs, but the 
wind finally sprung up in the night and in the morning 
we were out of sight of land. We had head winds and our 
ship had little or no ballast, consequently we were beating 
about and drifting with the ocean currents, making little 
or no headway. We had expected, upon leaving Tahiti, 
to arrive in Sidney in thirty days, but that time had 
now expired, and we were nowhere near our journey's end. 
Our provisions had run out, and I don't know what 



DISTRESS AND ANXIETY. 231 

would have been done had not many passengers laid in a 
prett}^ good store at Tahiti ; but this had now given out 
as well. Things kept getting worse and worse until we 
were reduced to nothing but beans, and at last were 
reduced to thirty pints a day for all, without a scrap of 
pork to grease them with. There were some prett}'^ sorry- 
looking faces. I remember one young fellow, who had 
heard of my starvation on the plains, who came to con- 
sult me on our situation. I proved to be one of Job's 
comforters to him. I told him that it was nothing as yet, 
but that in all probability we would have to cast lots ; that 
in a few days more, probably, some would lose their mind, 
and then they could easily be disposed of; that the food 
was rather repulsive at first, but one soon comes to like 
it, and that it was excitable persons who lost their 
reason first. He had been sent to me by Beauclerc and 
others, who had got him worked up to a state of frenzy 
before sending him to me. 

We were now approaching Norfolk island, longitude 
165° west, 30° south latitude, three miles- wide by seven 
long. It was used by the Van Diemen's Land government 
for the purpose of holding the worst of the doubly and 
trebly convicted convicts. For that place the captain 
had made up his mind to make, if he could beat up against 
the strong head winds with which he was obliged to con- 
tend. We spoke the transport ship Lady Franklin, ply- 
ing between Hobarttown and the island ; told the captain 
the condition we were in, but he paid no attention only 
to ask why we did not put into Norfolk, then kept on his 
course, leaving us to starve or make the island if we could, 



232 NORFOLK ISLAND— CAPTAIX PRICE. 

and which we did about forty-eight hours after. The 
captain of the Lady Franklin never reported us on his ar- 
rival. Upon our arrival at Norfolk we had only sixteen pints 
of beans on board, ever^^ morsel of eatables. The captain 
went ashore and reported to the commandant of the 
island, Price by name; more of him hereafter. He at once 
sent a dressed beef, potatoes and plenty of bread out to us, 
and in the morning sent out a boat with an order for the 
captain to allow all that desired to come on shore. One 
can imagine that there would be but few that would 
not avail themselves of the opportunity, for it was some- 
thing we had not reckoned upon, for we were the first 
passengers that were allowed on shore at Norfolk island. 
Soon we were all ashore, for the commandant had sent 
a large barge capable of carrying half the passengers at 
one trip. There were some that dare not land, such as 
had escaped from Hobarttown and were afraid the com- 
mandant would know them and detain them, which he 
most assuredly would, for he was never known to put his 
old eye on a man but he knew him again. He was one- 
eyed. 

We found that the soldiers in the barracks had prepared 
dinner for the whole military force, which consisted of the 
Ninety-ninth regiment. They had been there nearlj^ three 
years, and our arrival was as much of a treat to them as it 
was a happy relief to us. There were, at that time, about 
nine hundred prisoners, the worst lot ever congregated. The 
mode of punishment was equal to the subjects thereof. We 
were allowed the full run of the place, and I must sa}' that 
never before nor since have I had knowledge of such severe 



HANGING "comfortably." 233 

punisliments. It was enough to give reality to the words 
of Burns, "Man's inhumanity to man makes countless 
thousands mourn." I have seen men exercising for two 
hours with sixty pounds of iron riveted to their legs. I 
have been in the "dumb cell," where there was not a ray 
of light nor a sound was even allowed to reach the ear of 
a prisoner from the time he was put in until the time he 
came out ; and the cell was arranged so the prisoner was 
liable to be made to pump for his life. Tales were told 
by soldiers and others which were blood curdling in 
cruelty. If a prisoner was caught with a chew of tobacco, 
he got ten days in the dumb cell. If accused of idleness, 
he was sent there and made to pump for his life or drown. 
These facts I had from the officers of the regiment and 
even prison officials. A man was hung for a trifle, and 
sometimes three or four in a morning. A story was told 
of Price and the clergyman. One morning there was a 
larger batch than usual to hang. The place where thev 
usually hung them was on a beam that extended across 
the gateway. There were seven this morning, and they 
thought the space too narrow and the beam too short 
to hang them all at once, as was the custom. And so the 
clergyman seemed to think when he very considerately 
and feelingly remarked to the commandant that seven 
men could not hang "comfortably" there, they would be 
too crowded. 

The officers of the Ninety-ninth regiment were very gentle- 
manly and civil, and seemed pleased with our visit. Thev 
said it would be talked of as long as they remained upon the 
island, for the like had never before happened in their time 



234 GENEROSITY OF CAPTAIN PRICE. 

and might never again. So it appears that even a regi- 
ment of men on one of the lonely and unsettled islands of 
the Pacific may feel as solitary as Crusoe on Juan Fer- 
nandez. They got up an amateur performance in our 
honor, and we all joined in, that is, there were some two or 
three of our ship's company who were good musicians, 
and that was a department they were deficient in, so our 
talent came in to good advantage. We remained there 
some five or six days, when the governor's launch took us 
to our ship. There was not one among us but what had 
something in the way of provisions. Some had a dressed 
hog on the shoulder as big as they could carry ; another with 
as many turkeys as he could swing on his back ; another 
with half a dozen ducks; others with sweet potatoes, 
turnips and gooseberries, and even geese. 

Finally we were safely on board the launch, men, women, 
pigs, poultry and all, and after giving the islanders a 
good, hearty cheer, we were shoved off— men and women 
cheering, pigs squealing, turkeys gobbling, ducks quack- 
ing, roosters crowing and geese and hens cackling, and soon 
we were on board the ship. However severe the discipline 
of Commandant Price may have been in the management 
of a penal colony, his conduct towards and treatment of 
us was that of a generous and considerate man, while 
that of the captain of the Lady Franklin was that of an 
unfeeling savage. Price afterwards reported him to the 
government of Van Diemen's Land for not giving us sup- 
plies. His excuse was that the weather was too rough to 
lower a boat. He was tried and dismissed, as I was 
informed. We sailed from Norfolk island better supplied 



AUSTRALIA IN SIGHT. 235 

than when we left San Francisco. The captain had not 
only put on board enough to last us the remainder of the 
journey, but the passengers had made doubly sure. Un- 
favorable winds still prevailed, being strong ahead, and 
for twenty-four hours we were obliged to lay to in a 
storm, an unusual circumstance on that passage. Then 
the w^ind changed to a good stiff breeze in our favor, and 
we made more headway in forty-eight hours than we had 
for the last ten da\'s. At last, on the twenty-sixth of Jul\% 
1852, the sunny shores of Australia hove in sight, and 
great was the rejoicing on board that little barque, and all 
our troubles were forgotten. It is strange, but neverthe- 
less true, that the feeling one is suddenly inspired with 
when nearing land, opens his mind and heart to generous 
thoughts and sentiments towards all things and every 
person, and he finds himself conversing freely with those 
whom, perhaps, he has not spoken to during the whole voy- 
age. The wind was fair and we were fast bearing down upon 
the great island continent. Sidney heads were fast loom- 
ing up in the distance. Soon a pilot boat was seen sailing 
towards us, and it was not long before that important 
official personage v^as received on board, and the control 
of the ship passed into his hands. As we neared the shore 
our minds became anxious concerning the gold fields and 
the prospects, and many were the inquiries made of the 
pilot, and great was our joy to learn that it was with us 
as it had been of old when the queen of Sheba came to the 
court of Solomon after his ships had returned from the 
Orient laden with the gold of Ophir — the half had not been, 
told. 



236 PORT JACKSON— colt's REVOLVERS. 

The pilot only entered the Heads that night and cast 
anchor. When the morning sun rose, it disclosed the most 
beautiful harbor on earth. Port Jackson is a bay some 
seven miles long with numerous little inlets or bays, into 
which empties the Paramata river, and the whole is 
surrounded by a landscape as picturesque as eye ever 
beheld. I regret that my pen is incompetent to do justice 
to the subject, in a description of that scenery. Port Jack- 
son has often been vividly described by travelers, but the 
picture has never been overdrawn. Upon arriving at th^ 
circular quay we dropped anchor and were immediately 
boarded by some twenty or more persons, all in quest of 
Colt's revolvers. A five-inch would readily sell for thirty 
pounds (one hundred and fifty dollars); other sizes and 
qualities upward to two hundred and fifty dollars. The 
captain had brought a dozen, which he sold for the above 
prices. We had none but those we had brought for our 
own use. We landed and went through the custom-house, 
which, by the way, was then a mere matter of form. We 
hired a conveyance to take us to a hotel, but that was 
easier said than done, for I think the driver drove us to at 
least a dozen hotels before we were able to get accommo- 
dations. At last we found one upon what was called the 
Rocks. It was known by the name of the "Rocks of 
Cashel." It was kept by a man and his wife of the name 
of Casey. Sidney, at this time, was almost deserted by 
the male portion of its inhabitants. I don't know a city 
where a stranger met with more hospitality, or even as 
much, as in Sidney, and it is so to this day. At that 
time the population was about from fifteen to twenty 



THE BANQUET — "THE BLOODY DUCK." 237 

thousand. It has since increased to about two hun- 
dred and thirty thousand. At that time it was much 
the largest city in the Austrahan colonies, Melbourne 
being the only one then, or even now, that would any- 
where begin to compete with it. The worst feature in it 
was in the careless, or rather slovenly manner in which it 
was laid out. Speak to any one of the old inhabitants 
about it and they would say that no one thought it 
would ever become the wonderful town that it was then; 
that it was built along as the bullock and dray tracts 
then ran, that is, the old portion of the town ; the modern 
portion is better laid out. The surface of the city is rather 
of an uneven nature, and that accounts for the cart tracks, 
running in such an uncommonly crooked course. 

While we were there, the first steamer arrived from En- 
gland to run the overland mail by way of Singapore. The 
Shusan, v^hich was the name of the steamer, would now 
be considered about third or fourth class, but the colonists 
were very proud of her. The citizens of Sidney gave the 
officers of the ship a great banquet. The mayor presided 
and attempted to make a complimentary speech. Alluding 
to the wonderful steamer, the first that ever lay at anchor 
in their fine harbor, he sought to embellish his sentiments 
by quoting the lines of the poet, where he describes a ship- 
as "floating the waters as a thing of life." He got as far 
as "floats the water," but forgot the comparison, hesi-^ 
tated, made another attempt, but with no better success, 
then a third, but still the "thing of life" could not find 
utterance, when his worship lost his temper and broke 
out with, "floating the waters like — a bloody duck."' 



238 REACH MELBOURNE. 

How true the story was I cannot say, but the mayor 
was ever afterwards credited with that improvement on 
the world's great poet. 

Here I spent about ten days as agreeably, I think, as any I 
ever spent in a strange cit}^ in my life. The Shusan was about 
to sail and we bought our tickets upon her for Melbourne, 
and were six daj's making the trip, about seven hundred 
miles. Melbourne is at the head of Port Phillips bay, 
three miles up the Yara river, then not navigiible for large 
ocean steamers, and forty-three miles up the bay from 
the Heads. Soon after passing the Heads was a small 
town called Queen's Cliff, on the south side of the ba3\ 
It w^as then small, but has since become quite an impor- 
tant place. The government afterwards built large and 
important fortifications there. We found the steamer 
Australia had just that morning arrived from England 
to participate in the mail service in connection with the 
Shusan. This was considered a great boom for the col- 
onies, a monthly mail. Now they have no less than four 
a month, and the delivery in less than half the time it 
then took. We landed at what was then called- Lahard's 
Beach, now Landing. A small pier then ran out some fifty 
yards into the bay, while now there is a long pier extend- 
ing out nearh^ half a mile, where the largest ocean 
steamers can lie alongside and discharge their cargoes 
directly into railway cars for Melbourne or any part of 
the colonies. Then everything had to be transported on 
lighters, and from thence taken up the Yara river, then 
by bullock drays to the diggings and other stations in 
the interior, often taking two and sometimes three 



LANDING AND PERPLEXITIES. 239 

months to make the journey of a hundred miles, through 
dense forests and over rough roads. 

It was Sunday when we landed, and we were obliged 
to hire a horse and cart to take our blankets and traps 
up to Melbourne, a distance of three miles, paying ten 
shillings or two dollars and fifty cents each for ten of us. 
The road was flooded in some places belly deep to the 
horse. When we got into the deepest of the water and 
mud, the horse suddenly bogged and went down. We all 
had to get off the dray, help the horse up, and then lift 
at the wheel and help him out. There were not more than 
two or three houses on the whole distance between Sand- 
ridge and Melbourne and but one of ordinary size between 
Melbourne and Lahard's hotel, where now is a city of several 
thousand, called Emerald Hill. We arrived in Melbourne 
just at dark, part of us stopping at the Old Rain-Bow 
hotel, the others on Elizabeth street at what is now the 
Exchange, kept for many years by one Cooper. The Old 
Rain-Bow was then noted, and for years after, for its 
ale — Gordon's ale. All the old colonists will remember 
it. We had to pay for our supper before going into the 
dining-room, likewise for our bed before we went to bed, 
one dollar each. In the morning we looked around 
through the town. The streets were nearly hub deep 
with mud all through the city, except a part of Collins 
street and a part of one other that was macadamized. 
It was in the dead of winter, the month of August, the 
seasons in that south latitude being just the reverse of 
ovirs. 



240 BED-BUG LODGINGS. 



CHAPTER XVI. 

Impressions of Melbourne— Getting Out — Keller's Bed-bug Hotel 
— Black Forest— Bush-rangers— Diggers— Sticking Up— Harper's 
Hotel — Porcupine Hotel — Bendigo Diggings — First License 
— Americans — Sheep's Head — Ovens River — Marching in a 

ROBB 

WE were very anxious to get out of Melbourne, for 
the reason that we were not so favorably im- 
pressed with the people as with those at Sidney, where one 
could enter a hotel and be treated as an old friend or ac- 
quaintance, while in Melbourne, everyone seemed to look 
upon a stranger with suspicion, as though he would steal 
something, if it was only a meal of victuals or a bed. 
Starting after dinner, we made ten miles, carrying our 
"swag," as it was termed, and put up at Keller's hotel, 
w^hich could furnish the largest company of bed-bugs lever 
camped among. I have faced some pretty hungry crowds 
of these foes to man in ether hotels, but Keller's won the 
cake. For our lodging we paid $1.25 each, and two or 
three in a bed at that ; but that was to each individual's 
advantage, for one man alone in a bed would have been 
suddenly devoured, and that without remedy. The second 
day we made Gisbourn, thirty-two miles from Melbourne, 
at the border of the Black Forest, then the terror of trav- 



BLACK FOREST ROBBERS. 241 

elers, and through which we went the third day. This 
great forest, dark and gloomy, is situated near Mt. Masi- 
don, and was noted in that day for being the resort of 
numerous bands of bush-rangers, as they were called. 
They were certainly a most cruel band of robbers. 
This day we met parties of "diggers," as miners were 
there called, on the way to town to have a spree— that is, 
spend their money, have a good drunk, as they expressed 
It, and return. They were in parties of from ten to twenty, 
carrying in their hands a ready cocked pistol, or at least 
an old gun, and it would be hard to say who would be in 
greater danger, the bush-ranger or he who fired it. I 
think I would rather have taken the bush-ranger's chance. 
This much I am certain of, that nine out of ten of the 
parties we met, had they been attacked by three bush- 
rangers, would have surrendered their gold without any 
resistance, which was, in fact, often the case. I have 
known of whole parties to have been "stuck up " by only 
two. They would suddenly ride in upon them and cry 
"Hands up," presenting their pistols. The whole parti- 
would immediately throw- up, when one of the robbers 
would dismount and the other sit on guard, while the first 
would go through the pockets of every man, take all his 
gold and ride away. This has been done many times to 
my knowledge. The third night we stopped at Harper's, 
a man since w^ell known in Australia as the owner of many 
noted race-horses. The fourth day we passed through 
Keynton, one of the oldest inland towns of the colon'i% 
having some ten or fifteen houses, to Collenbine, and thence 
to the Porcupine hotel, the greatest den of thieves and 



242 TAKING OUT LICENSE. 

robbers in the colony, kept by two Jews. When we ar- 
rived, forty or fifty people from the Bendigo diggings were 
there, all more or les.^ drunk. We did not stop inside. We 
had stopped at many hard places, but this was a little too 
tough. The next morning, bright and early, we pulled out 
and made Bendigo diggings, one hundred miles from Mel- 
bourne, b}^ noon. The first point we struck w^as Newchum 
Gully, then down to Golden Gully, thence to Commis- 
sioner's Gully, never stopping for three miles, although 
the road was completely lined with business places, and 
back of which, as far as the hills, the ground was thickly 
dotted with the canvas tents of the gold diggers. Our 
reason for not stopping was that w^e had to first take out 
a license at thirty shillings cost, which authorized the 
holder to dig for gold or carry on any other business for 
one month. If a person was caught on the mines without 
one, he was seized and brought before the commissioner 
and fined five pounds (twenty-five dollars), and if he had 
not the money to pay the fine, he had to work it out like 
other prisoners, at ten shillings a da}', including costs and 
the price of a license which he did not, but ought to have 
taken out. The government had a police force on the 
watch for such as had no license. We thought that if we 
stopped on the way, short of the commissioner's camp, 
we might possibly be taken and fined, so we pulled for 
headcjuarters. We got our license without delay, and 
camped on Commissioner's Gully for a few days. Our 
license bore date, September 11, 1852. The next day be- 
ing Saturday, we bought some stuff and made ourselves 
a tent, Taft, myself, Costler, Babbet and Jim Hull. I have 






h/ 




244 UNCLE AND AUNTY. 

neglected to mention before that Hull, the second officer 
of the United States mail steamer Oregon, our old room- 
mate in San Francisco, when we came to start, suddenly 
concluded that he would go with us, and here he was. It 
is not usual for more than four or five to work in one party, 
so we went together, while Loveland, Beauclerc, Taylor 
and Raymond made a second mess. We bought tools, 
made a tent and looked around on Saturday. The next 
day being Sunday, we visited some Americans who had 
come out in the ship Wellington, owned by Captain Thorg- 
morton, which sailed three months before we did, an old 
German and his wife and niece, whose names I do not re- 
member if I ever knew them. The old folks were known 
as uncle and aunty, whom many will remember to this 
day. They baked pies and made money. Of course all 
the Americans went there and were told of our arrival, 
as we went there to get our meals until we got our house 
in order and some cooking utensils. The Americans visited 
us and, of course, gave us all the information they had, and 
offered to show us around and "lay us on," as the expres- 
sion was for giving one an insight of a new place or dig- 
gings, and they were as good as their word. John Bar- 
tholomew from Hamden, Geauga county, Ohio, and Robert 
Gunston from Canada, came in the morning and showed 
us through the different gullys, sueh as Long's, Iron Bark, 
California, Peg Leg and Sheep's Head. They showed us 
a hole in the latter, which they had themselves sunk, 
said they had not a paying prospect in the bottom, but if 
it was driven further down it might pay. The next morn- 



sheep's head diggings. 245 

ing Taft and I started to try this hole. The others went 
in another direction to prospect. 

We commenced in Sheep's Head to drive in the gravel 
and soon got a paying prospect, but the gravel was so 
hard that we could make but little headway. We found 
upon trying that the bed or bottom was soft pipe clay, 
so we went down into that and drove under the wash 
or drift and then knocked it down. The prospects we 
were now getting would pay at least two ounces to a 
man. We went home at night full of hopes, but the others 
had not met with as good luck, so we took Hull and 
Babbet with us the second day. Jim had never done a 
day's work in his life before, that is, in mining, but he was 
willing to learn. He could haul up the dust from out of 
the shaft or shovel it along to the hole to send up on 
deck, as it was expressed, as well as anyone. The dirt 
was harder to wash than that in California and had to 
be puddled in a tub. A beer barrel sawed in two made 
two tubs, selling for four pounds each or forty dollars for 
a beer cask. A tub would hold about six common buckets 
of dirt, besides sufficient water for the process; puddle 
with a shovel till the water is thick, pour off and repeat 
until the clay is all off, leaving only the gravel, which 
then goes to the cradle and is washed down. 

We got onto a regular lead which we followed, and 
we found it paid two ounces to the tub, on the average. 
We worked off four or five tubs while the others were out 
prospecting. For four weeks we washed out as high as 
a pound weight of gold to the tub. The others did not 
understand our driving in at the bottom and often came 



246 SPRING CREEK EXCITEMENT. 

and told us that if there was any gold in there, we had 
gone through it or got below it, but we told them we 
thought we would come to it by and by. It is never well 
to let everyone know your business in mining any more 
than in any other business. 

When we left Sidney, there were some of our shipmates 
that had started overland. They promised to write us at 
Bendigo if they struck anything. After we had been 
there about four weeks, we got a letter from them saying 
they had struck something on Spring creek, a tributary 
of Ovens river, about thirty miles over the boundary of 
Victoria district, and in the territory of New South Wales, 
in which was Sidney. The boys were all up on end to 
start right off, except niA^self. The others had not done 
as well as our party, and of course were all the more ready 
for a start. But as for myself, I could not see the use 
of throwing away a certainty for an uncertainty. I 
protested and told them I would not go. The distance 
was two hundred miles. But they were determined to 
go, and as they thought I was the best one of the party 
to buy them a horse, I \vas solicited with Costler to make 
the purchase, including a dray, or rather a drag. As there 
was no horse suitable for such a journey near where we 
were, we went out on the road towards Melbourne, hoping 
to meet someone coming to the diggings who might have 
one for sale. A few miles out we found a man and woman 
by the side of the road eating their dinner. After a long 
parley as to the value of horses in the mining region and the 
cost of keeping them and their liability to be stolen, all 
of which were true, we told the man that if our party 



ON OUR WAY THERE. 247 

were not about to take a long overland journey, they 
would not take their horse and drag as a gift. He agreed 
to take just what he had paid in Melbourne for it — fifty- 
five pounds sterling, or two hundred and seventy-five 
dollars of our money. They would have been satisfied 
if we had paid double that price. They afterwards sold 
the horse for one hundred pounds and the drag for thirtv 
pounds. Notwithstanding my protest, I finally yielded 
and went with them, selling our claim to a man who had 
been working near us, who worked it for some time and 
did well. Our little party had cleared for everj^ day we had 
been in Bendigo two ounces per day each man. There was 
a genial old Irishman that lived close by us who requested 
me to run down (two hundred miles) and let him know 
if the new diggings turned out well. He said it was no 
distance to walk, besides, we had a horse to ride. Of 
course I promised him I would "run down." 

There were nine of the party— Costler, Taft, Babbet, 
Hull, Beauclerc, Loveland, Campbell, Gilmour and mvself— 
and the horse, cart and baggage. The journey was long 
and tedious, over what was then called the old Sidney 
road, which we struck at Seymour, and followed it 
through Longwood and other towns, when, turning 
south, past Reed's station, we arrived at Spring creek. 
The Sidney road had been built for j^ears, but we were the 
first party of diggers that had ever traveled it up to that 
time. I was told years afterwards that the first party of 
diggers that passed over that road south to Ovens— which 
was our party— were the boys to spend their money freely. 
They never had seen any diggers that had any money to 



248 SPRING CREEK TO BENDIGO. 

spend, and that accounted for things being so cheap in 
comparison to what we had been accustomed to pay. 
They thought they were getting a big price when we 
thought we were getting things very cheap. On arriving 
at Spring creek, on the Ovens diggings, we found the ship- 
mates that had written to some of us. They had done 
pretty well, but the run of gold they were on was all 
■worked out, and it presented a very sorry prospect to us. 
But our party set about prospecting and met with some 
success. There were about forty miners there when we 
arrived, and were daily coming in, mostly from Sidney, 
but soon they began to come in from the lower or southern 
diggings. After stopping there about five weeks we made 
up our minds to return, or at least a part of us. We all 
bought horses and some of us started down to Wangar- 
atta to get them shod; Loveland and three others 
remained to finish up and come on the next day. Having 
got the horses shod, we waited for them all day, but they 
not coming we started on, thinking they would overtake 
us ; but they never came. After we left, they made a strike 
and got a claim agoing which happened to turn out pretty 
good, and they stopped, and there they remained until 
they all went home. We who had started went back to 
Bendigo, and there I remained all the summer and met 
with varied success. I had brought back the horse and 
cart which I originally bought for the party of the stran- 
ger on the Melbourne road, and each of the others had 
brought back a horse which they sold in Bendigo and 
doubled their money, but I held on to my horse and dray. 
Whenever there came a rush, some were up and off; others 



SICKNESS— WHITE HILL DIGGINGS. 249 

remained behind and worked. At last we sold the horse 
and dray, and when there was no more riding around we 
were satisfied to stick to work and make something. 

I got sick, for the climate did not agree with me; besides, 
it was very sickly in Bendigo in the summer of 1852. The 
burial-ground of that town looked like a plowed field. If 
I got partly well I would have a relapse, and the boys for 
a time did not believe I would pull through. 

The White Hill, in or near Bendigo, was now the excit- 
ing field, and there our party w^orked most of the time. 
Costler, Hull and myself worked together ; Nichols, Taft 
and another man by themselves; and Reading, Phelps, 
and an old mate of Reading's made up the third division. 
Old uncle and aunty still ran the pie-shop, and that was 
our only place of social meeting or amusement. But since 
then Bendigo has attained unto the proportions of a 
respectable city, with all the modern improvements. But 
the greatest change noticeable to an early miner is in the 
absence of all the "old hands," as they were then called, 
who, in due time, were either hung or died in prison. It 
was certainly one of the worst places on earth in 1852-53. 
One was not safe In going outside of his tent after dark, as 
he was liable to be either shot or sand-bagged and robbed. 
There was no end of such desperate, murderous* rascality. 
It would take a thousand pages to record what I have 
personally known, to say nothing of all reported from the 
various districts in the colony. They would steal wash- 
dirt, rob a claim, or kill a man without compunction. 
There were parties that did nothing else but go around 
through the day and learn where the best dirt or richest 



250 MARCHED' HIM HOME. 

claims were, and come at night and carry off the dirt. 
Once in awhile a thief and robber would get shot in the 
operation. We were washing rather late one Saturday 
night ; had cleaned up our gold, and were about to start 
for home, when Phelps said that it was so late I had 
better remain at the mine. I told him I would not, as the 
boys would be alarmed and be down looking for me, but 
would run the risk of getting home with the gold. He 
asked if I had my pistol. I had not, so he insisted on my 
taking one of his, which I did, and started. I had not 
gone more than a hundred j^ards when I discovered that 
a man was following me. I let him come up pretty close, 
for they won't shoot if they can get on without it, as the 
report of the pistol would sound the alarm. When I 
thought he had got near enough, I suddenly turned on 
him, presenting my pistol and telling him he had followed 
me long enough, that I would now follow him. I ordered 
him to walk on ahead, which he did, never speaking, 
and I marched him right home to my tent and then dis- 
missed him. If I had not had the pistol, he would, un- 
doubtedly, have knocked me senseless with a sand-bag, or 
garroted me — a peculiar process very much in vogue there 
at that time. Government did not allow liquor to be sold 
on the diggings, which was one of the most beneficial laws 
of the colony. A person caught selling would forfeit his 
claim and all there was in it and have to pay a fine of not 
less than fifty pounds (two hundred and fifty dollars), and 
for the second offense, the same sum and six months im- 
prisonment. 



MACKIVER DIGGINGS. 251 



CHAPTER XVII. 

ANEW Rush — Carrying Swag — Mackiver Diggings — Government 
Escort Robbed — Arrested and Searched — Our Landlord's 
Endorsement— Discharged — Blowhards— Shooting for a Wager 
— Mrs. Scott's Fourth of July Dinner — Police Interfere — 
Captain Wilson— The Quack Doctor of the "Don Juan" — "Old 
Pills " — Loveland's Noble Generosity. 

EARLY in April, 1853, there was a new rush out to a 
place called Mackiver, about thirty-eight miles from 
Bendigo. The whole country was alive with excitement, 
and everyone went there, ourselves with the rest. We 
stopped there about two months, and then I concluded to 
go back to Ovens ; but the others were not willing to go, 
so I made up my mind to go alone, if no one would go 
with me. At last, a man by name of Elliot agreed to go 
also, and then when Phelps saw I was determined on go- 
ing, he made up his mind to go with me. It did not take 
one long to get under way after he had once determined, 
for all he had to do was to roll up his blankets, and he was 
ready for the road. We started with our swag— a colonial 
term descriptive of such articles as we were obliged to 



252 GOVERNMENT ESCORT ROBBED. 

carry with us. The mode of carrying is to spread out the 
blankets and put all the extra traps one may have inside, 
roll the blankets up tight lengthwise and bind them tight, 
then bring the two ends together, forming a bow, some- 
thing like an ox-bow, put the hand through, letting the 
upper side rest upon the shoulder, the other coming down 
upon the other side, the arm passing though. In that 
way one can carry a heavy swag with little inconvenience. 
If one happens to have a frying-pan, which is mostly the 
case, he just sticks the handle through underneath the 
strings. Some grease or crock may get off the pan onto 
the blankets, but that is of but little consequence, as the 
blanket is already as dirty as it can be. Should they hap- 
pen to be new, they will soon be dirty, and the sooner the 
better, as it will save further trouble and anxiety of mind 
in trying to keep them clean. 

The day we left Mackiver,the government escort left for 
Melbourne, wnth nine thousand ounces of gold. Mer- 
chants and diggers, and almost everybod}^ sent their gold 
to Melbourne by the escort for safe keeping. In that early 
day there were no banks in the near vicinity of any of the 
interior gold fields, so all deposits were made in the escort 
office— charge 2s. 6d., or sixty-two cents— take a receipt, 
upon the presentation of which at the treasury in Mel- 
bourne, you receive your bag of gold with your name on 
it, all sealed and stamped as you handed it in. This was 
the best, and, in fact, the only absolute protection the 
miner or the merchant had against the dangers of robbery 
by the bush-rangers. The express transport was a two- 
horse cart, driven by armed police and escorted by 



SEARCHED BY POLICE. 253 

some ten armed men, with pistols and blunderbusses, and 
each and all having sabers— a rather formidable crowd for 
a band of robbers to encounter. They started in the 
morning and had traveled about twelve miles, when, 
rounding a short bend at the head of a gully where the 
road had been cut around a sidling, just room for a dray 
to pass, they suddenly found themselves among the tops 
of some fallen trees, in a place too narrow to turn and make 
their way back. A heavy fire opened upon them ; the driver 
was severely wounded ; the horses and dray plunged down 
the sidling into the gully below, and upset. The police re- 
turned the fire, but could not see anybody to shoot at, and 
at last beat a retreat, after several of them were wounded. 
The robbers took the gold and left. 

Upon our arrival at Seymour, the place where we struck 
the Sidney road on our way out, w^e had heard nothing 
of it, but were pounced upon by the police of the town, 
for there were always one or two police in every little town, 
if it had nothing more than a hotel, store and blacksmith 
shop, which was usually the size of most interior towns in 
that day. Our swags were searched and ourselves subjected 
to a rigid examination, but they found upon us nothing 
but what miners usually carry, and the landlord hap- 
pened to remember me as one of the party of diggers that 
first went up over the road some ten months before, and 
he giving us all a good character, we were allowed to get 
our breakfast in peace and go on our way rejoicing. Had 
not the hotel-keeper happened to recognize me, we might 
have been arrested, put in the lockup, and probably had 
to lie there until a magistrate saw fit to hear.our case— 



254 A PARTY OF BRAGGERS. 

which would have been when he felt like it. A digger or a 
swagsman was at that time treated no better by the author- 
ities than a dog — at least by some of them — there were 
always exceptions. Some possessed human hearts, whom 
the miners never forgot. Commissioner Daley was an emi- 
nent exception to the general run of magistrates, who will 
be remembered by every old miner that was ever in the Bal- 
larat and Meribouro district. In his court every man got 
his just legal rights, whether he was a merchant or a 
miner, citizen or stranger, rich or poor. Even the defeated 
party retained his confidence in the honesty and impar- 
tiality of Judge Dale3^ There were a few others I could men- 
tion, alike honorable magistrates. 

We continued our journey without any further trouble 
until we reached the hotel in Banella. There was another 
party there like unto ourselves, only traveling in another 
direction. They were from California, and were great brag- 
garts and boasters. One was called "Grizzly," on account 
of the multitude of grizzly bears he had slain. He told 
of wonderful shots he had made, particularly with a 
Colt's revolver. Phelps was not one to take much stock 
in one who was always blowing his own horn, and 
thought he would have a little fun with them. I had my- 
self made some accidental shots with a revolver that had 
surprised our boys hardly less than myself; I knew they 
were all chance shots ; they did not, and I took good care 
not to let them know but they were the result of skill, so 
mv name was high on the roll of dead shots with our 
little party. But I did not do any more shooting in their 
presence for fear of letting the cat out of the bag. I went 



"grizzly's" headache. 255 

off to bed, leaving Phelps and Elliot up with the stranger 
party who were constantly telling wonderful yarns about 
grizzly bears. At last Phelps told them that he would 
produce a man he had with him, in the morning, for 
twenty pounds wager, to shoot, if they would like it. 
They accepted, and one-half the wager was deposited in the 
landlord's hands. In the morning Phelps told me what 
he had done. I told him to withdraw the stakes. No, he 
would not, and said he would try to get them to make it 
fifty pounds a side. In the meantime Elliot had been 
telling them of the wonderful shots he had seen me make. 
Phelps challenged them to shoot for fifty. We had break- 
fast, and I confess I felt very uneasy, for I was conscious 
that he was deceived about my skill. We were just ready 
to go out, and the balance of the money was to be put 
into the landlord's hands, when suddenly "Grizzly" was 
seized with a severe headache and could not hit a haystack, 
as he expressed it. Phelps offered to stop over another 
day if they would make it fifty, but "Grizzly's" backer 
preferred to forfeit. So we took their ten pounds (fifty 
dollars) and went on our journey. I told Phelps never to 
back me again, as my shooting was mere luck. The prob- 
abilities were that "Grizzly " was only a braggart and no 
shot. 

We soon arrived at Beechworth, as Spring creek was 
now called. Phelps had some old mates there, Dan Towser 
and some others. I found Loveland, Beauclerc, Campbell, 
Gilmour and George Scott and wife, who had come from 
Nevada City with us. Scott had started in the baking 
business and had been very successful, which he could not 



256 MRS. SCOTT's dinner— "Oi^D PILLS." 

well help, for a four pound loaf sold readily for five 
shillings (one dollar and twenty -five cents). Loveland and 
party had likewise been successful, and were on the eve of 
starting for home. The Fourth of July was close at hand, 
and Mrs. Scott had invited all her American acquaintances 
to dine with her on that day. It was quite a large com. 
pany. Think of Americans dining at the antipodes on the 
Fourth of July — in the dead of winter! Mr. Scott, who 
liked a good time, had sent to Melbourne for all things 
necessary to make the occasion memorable and delightful. 
After dinner patriotic songs were going the rounds of the 
party and all in that happy spirit wherein, especially on 
that day, every American feels the truths of the famous 
Declaration— that life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness 
is his birthright — when there came a knock at the door. 
Scott went to the door and found three police officers there 
who notified him that they had instructions from the 
inspector, Mr. Wilson, to order a stop to all singing at 
once. The police were civil and were only observing the 
orders of their superior officer, therefore we could not 
blame them, so we called them in and treated them to a 
drink of bourbon and showed them other American Fourth 
of July hospitalities, Beauclerc telling them he would see 
Mr. Wilson, and called me to go with him. We went up to 
the camp, as the police headquarters were called, and asked 
to see Mr. Wilson, the might^'^man in authority who would 
suppress patriotic songs on the American Declaration day. 
Presently, out stepped a gruff, pompous little man, dressed 
in a double-breasted, blue frock-coat, with two rows of 
brass buttons down the front. His appearance reminded 



loveland's offer. 257 

one at once of the character in the play who uttered the 
warning : 

— "Who dares these boots displace 
Shall meet Bombasto face to face." 

It needed but one look to recognize the valiant quack, 
our doctor of the Don Juan. Beauclerc immediately accosted 
him with the familiar salutation: "How are you, Old 
Pills?" and at the same time stepped up to him and taking 
him by the two ears and nearly lifting him off his feet, 
asked him how he would like to fight another duel. 
"Oh," said Beauclerc, "you are a consummate old cow- 
ard; and now," said he, "we are holding a little celebra- 
tion down here, and we don't want your men to interrupt 
us, so see that they don't. Good-night, Pills." Wilson 
never opened his mouth, and it is needless to say that we 
were not interfered with again that night. 

Loveland wanted me to go home with him, but I had 
not made much of anything to go home with. He offered 
me a thousand dollars and said no one should know it, 
that I could by trade make more money with a thousand 
dollars than many would out of four times that amount, 
and he would go and settle down on a farm. I could 
not accept his generous offer. At last he said, "What sum 
do you want to go home with ?" I told him that when I 
had made a thousand pounds (five thousand dollars), I 
would go. He stood for a minute and then said he would 
remain until I made it. So the other boys left, but he 
staid, and we went in together. 



258 WOOLSHED PARTNERSHIP. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

WooLSHED Creek Diggings— Health Failed — Expensive Traveling 
— Bread and Milk— Melbourne Again— American Circus— Min- 
strel Company— Ocean Steamers — Loveland Departs— Loneli- 
ness AND Regret— Mr. Walter— The Great Nugget— Restaurant 
Business — Mrs. Hanmer and the Adelphi — Horsewhips Her 
Partner — Mr. Wooden. 

AT the opening of Spring creek the diggings were all 
above the falls. There were two large falls in the 
stream. Above the first it was called Spring creek, 
between the two, Reed's creek, and below the second,. 
Woolshed creek, all three being the same creek. On 
Reed's there had been some very rich diggings in 1853, 
but they were supposed to be worked out at that time, 
and were nearly deserted. They had been very wet and it 
was iihpossible for inexperienced miners to work the 
ground thoroughly. We had been over the ground and 
thought we could get fall enough to put up a tail-race 
and drain it. So we went to the commissioners for a 
permit for that purpose, but he told us he had no author- 
ity to grant such a permit; however, if we did so, he 
would give us all the protection in his power. So we 
formed a party of nine, Loveland, Elliot, Bartholomew, 
Williams, Phelps, and his three mates and myself, and 



SICK AND GOES TO MELBOURNE. 259 

began the work. Itr about three weeks my health failed 
me again, from working in the water, and I was never 
able to do any more work, although we stopped there 
till November. It proved a good investment. We worked 
as many as eight to twelve men, besides our own party, 
paying seven pounds per week (thirty-five dollars) to each 
hired man. Our company divided as high as eighteen 
ounces per man each week. 

I was getting worse all the time and concluded to go to 
Melbourne. Loveland said he would go with me, being in 
hopes that he would get me started for home, and I think 
I should have gone, but the doctor frightened me by say- 
ing that if I went I would not live half the way. We 
bought saddle-horses and started, traveling at easy 
stages, some days lying over, but at last reached there. 
Traveling was an expensive luxury in those days — seven 
dollars and a half to keep a horse over night, two dollars 
and a half to bait at noon, meals and bed one dollar and 
twenty-five cents each, or about fourteen dollars a day. 
We were twelve days on the road. The night before we 
reached Melbourne I saw some cows, which reminded me 
of bread and milk, which neither of us had had since we 
left home in Ohio. I asked for some, and thought they 
were a long time getting it ready ; at last it came. They 
had boiled the milk and poured it over the bread. Being 
sick my stomach w^as not strong, and when I got one 
smell of the steam of the hot milk, it was enough for me, 
and from that day to this I have never been able to endure 
the smell of hot milk. 

We put up at the Australian Family Phelix hotel, on the 




260 



THEATRES, CIRCUS AND MINSTRELS. 261 

corner of Bourk and Russell streets, kept by Mrs. Sawyers. 
Many of the early settlers of Melbourne will remember the 
landlady as well as the house. We had found a great 
change in Melbourne since we were there seventeen months 
before. The place had grown beyond all knowledge. 
Lahard's Beech was now called Sandridge, and boasted a 
population of over three thousand. Between there and 
Melbourne was Emerald Hill. Some will remember it as 
Canvas-town, on account of its then being entirely of can- 
vas tents. The streets were macadamized, or mettled, as 
it was called, and there were several suburban towns 
around, fast growing up, which have long since become 
cities, such as ColHngwood, Richmond, Williamstown, and 
several others of less importance. Melbourne then sup- 
ported but one theatre, the Queen's, but Roe's American 
circus was there in full blast, the greatest attraction of 
the town. It ran there for over eight months, with two 
entertainments a day, to crowded houses, tickets two and 
two and a half dollars. It was said that the proprietor 
cleared over half a million dollars in Australia in less than 
ten months. Be that as it may, he must, however, have 
cleared a large sum of money while there. He went from 
there back to California, and lost nearly all of it by invest- 
ments in Spanish land grants. Raynor's Serenaders were 
there coining money, but it is such slippery stuif that few 
of the company were able to hold on to it. Frank Moran 
was the only one of them out of the whole company that 
carried home any money. 

Austraha had now become a shipping point of great im- 
portance to the whole commercial world. Ships were 



262 PARTING WITH LOVELAND. 

dailj' arriving from all parts of the globe. The great 
ocean steamers were now coming in weekly and almost 
daily — three from California, the Monumental City, the Or- 
leans and the Golden Gate, all loaded with passengers. The 
first two were sold here on the coast; the last went back 
to San Francisco. The steamer Great Britain was then in 
port and about to sail on her second voyage to England. 
Loveland had paid his passage on her and was about to 
return home. Taft had heard of it and had come down 
from Bendigoto bid himgood-by. He tried to have me go 
with him, and, in the language of one of old, he "almost 
persuaded me." But the doctors had fastened me, and so 
I remained behind, and was exceedingly lonesome after he 
was gone. I never had a brother that it was possible to 
think more of He was the soul of honor and always 
ready to do a good turn to any deserving man ; but the 
best of friends must part, and so did Loveland and I. Taft 
was now the only one of those whom I had known in m}' 
boyhood days, and he was soon going to Ballarat to try 
his luck there. I was still sick, and really believe that I 
would have died if I had not quarreled with my doctor 
and quit taking his medicine. Just at this time Dr. Nichols 
came down from Bendigo, and I told him that the doctors 
were trying to see how much I could stand without dying. 
He agreed w' ith me, and said that all I wanted was a littie 
of this and that to strengthen me and he would get it if 
I liked, and before I knew it he had me under a regular 
course, and I was soon able to be about, and in a month 
was in a condition to go up to Ballarat. It was, however, 



PLEASANT JklR. WALTER. 263 

■out of the question for me to think of going to digging, 
so I thought of looking for something else to do. 

While I was sick at Mrs. Sawyers', there was a young 
Englishman there who often came to my room and in- 
quired as to mj' condition, and would ask if there was 
anything I would like, and if so, he would be happy to get 
it for me. I at first wished he would stay away and not 
bother me, but always answered him civilly and thanked 
him. I wondered what it was to him whether I was better 
or not. At last he came in and sat longer than usual, and 
said I had been sick a long time, that it must have been a 
great expense to me, that he was going away. He asked 
if there was anything he could do for me before going. I 
thanked him again and said no. He arose to retire, 
and as he did so, put his hand in his pocket and 
pulled out a twenty pound note and offered it to me, 
I saw at once his generous motive. Pie did not know 
how I stood financially — knew I had been sick for a long 
time and had no friends there then and perhaps was 
out of mone}', and that likely I was too modest to ask, for 
fear of offending, and he wanted to assist me. My feelings 
changed towards him at once. I thanked him for his 
proffered kindness, and we parted, little thinking we would 
ever meet again, for he thought, as he afterwards told me, 
that he was sure I never would recover. Some two months 
after, when I went to Ballarat, the coach stopped at a 
store, and asl got outthefirst man I saw was Mr. Walter, 
as he was called, and which I always supposed to be his 
surname for more than a year after. 
Ballarat was the oldest diggings in the colony, gold hav- 



264 THE FAMOUS NUGGET. 

ing been first discovered at Bunningyon, in the depart- 
ment of Victoria, by one Hargraves, though since dis- 
puted by some — at all events, he got the reward. It was 
traced from there into Newchum Gully and others around. 
It was out of Newchum that Taylor's lead was traced, 
which ran into deep sinkings, and it was here that the 
first big nugget was discovered. The" parties that found 
it came out in the Great Britain and went to Ballarat, 
having found the nugget of seventy-two pounds weight in 
so remarkably short a time that they returned in the same 
ship in six weeks from the time they sailed from England. 
That was luck, indeed. That famous and ever to be re- 
membered nugget was found in Taylor's Lead, near Bal- 
larat, in the department of Victoria, about sixty miles 
northwest of Melbourne. There were many rich claims in 
that locality. As many as seventy pounds of gold have 
been washed out of one tub of wash dirt of six common 
buckets. When I arrived in Ballarat, they w^ere working 
the Canadian Lead, the Red Hill, the Eureka and the 
Gravelpits, all of which were then over one hundred feet 
deep, some a hundred and fifty. There was only one little 
wooden building, known as the Baths Hotel, a commis- 
sioner's tent of canvas and a log lockup, or jail, often an 
indispensable building. On the hill where the town was 
laid out there was not more than half a dozen tents, ex- 
clusive of the commissioner's camp. The post-ofiice was 
in a large canvas tent. There was a store on Taylor's 
Lead, kept by an American named Larue ; also an American 
firm. Moody, Nichols & Smith. These gentlemen were 



OPENING A RESTAURANT. 265 

from Boston, and I shall have occasion hereafter to men- 
tion them. 

I had come to Ballarat for the purpose of seeing if there 
was any kind of business I could go into. I found Taft 
and many acquaintances, who all strongly urged me to 
open a restaurant in the American style, something of 
the kind, they said, being greatly needed there, as one 
could not get a good meal in the place. So I concluded 
to go into that business, and went back at once to Mel- 
bourne to procure the necessaries. I bought a tarpaulin, 
thirty by forty feet, for a building; an American cooking 
stove, for which I paid two hundred dollars, worth about 
thirty at home ; in fact, I procured everything I wanted, 
even all my provisions, and shipped them to Geelong, a town 
on one of the arms of Port Phillip bay. From there they 
had to be hauled in drays to Ballarat, at a cost of fifty 
dollars a ton. After making my purchases I started back 
at once to get up the frame of my house and get it covered 
ready to receive my goods. It does not take much time 
to erect a house in the diggings, and I had my restaurant 
in full running order in less than a week. Desiring to 
make a favorable impression at the opening, I got up a 
grand oyster supper and invited all the camp officials, 
so as to make a grand splurge, and, if possible, gain the 
good opinion of those gentlemen. I not only plied them 
with good fat oysters, but enabled them to be convivial 
in the indulgence of choice wines. Spirituous liquors were 
supposed not to be allowed about the diggings. It was 
a great risk to run in selling it, but the greater the risk 
the greater the price paid for it. I thought if I succeeded 



266 RECIPROCATING WALTER'S KINDNESS. 

in getting the good-will of the officials, there would be 
less chance of my being pulled and fined. Of course one 
cared nothing for a fine, but for the second offense there 
would be not only a fine, but six months in jail, which 
would be very embarrassing to a business man like my- 
self, and therefore great care had to be observed as to 
whom one sold it. However, on this important occasion 
I ventured to bring out the beer and spirituous liquors 
to the officials, just as though I had a license to dispense 
fermented and spirituous liquors, and my theory proved 
correct. They spent the evening with me, and of course 
did not send around the liquor searchers to overhaul my 
place. So I had a run of about two months without once 
being molested. My profits in that branch of business 
were by far more remunerative than in the other, but in 
order to make the one pay I was necessitated to run the 
other. Then I had friends who kept me posted, who 
always knew w^hen the police were going to make a raid 
on the liquor shanties, as they were called. About the 
ninth week I got notice, but in time to sell out and at a 
good profit. After selling, I reckoned up and found that I 
had cleared six hundred pounds (three thousand dollars), 
and, what was better, had not been pulled for selling 
liquors. That circumstance operated favorably in mak- 
ing sale of my establishment. 

Just at that time, Walter, the young friend before 
alluded to, was taken very sick with the colonial fever, 
and remembering his kindness to mc, I went to see him 
and found him in a very critical condition. He was raving 
mad, with no one to look after him, and was administered 



Walter's family arrive. 267 

to by two drunken doctors; one of them, however, was a 
very good surgeon, but liquor had got the better of him. I 
saw that unless the young man was watched and cared 
for, there could be no hope of his recovery. I told the 
doctor so, and, furthermore, that if he would keep sober, 
I would stay by the patient constantly as long as he 
lived, or until he got well. The doctor promised, and was 
faithful to his word. I stayed night and day with Walter 
till his delirium broke and left him in an exhausted and 
helpless state. I was with him three weeks before he was 
considered out of danger. When he got all right, the 
doctor celebrated his supposed medical triumph by getting 
on a protracted drunk and making up for lost time. The 
colonial terror is a sort of typhus, and one never knows 
when he is over with it. New arrivals in the colony are 
the most subject to it. 

As soon as Walter was able to understand Mrhat was 
said to him, I gave him a letter from Coffey, Hill & Com- 
pany of Melbourne, notifying him that his father and 
mother had arrived with all their family, and were wait- 
ing for him to come to Melbourne. He not being able, 
requested me to go in his stead, which I did, and found 
the father a fine specimen of an old English gentleman, 
and the mother and two daughters very agreeable per- 
sons ; besides, there were four younger brothers, the oldest 
a boy about sixteen years. The old gentleman had been 
in good circumstances, but having met with some verv 
heavy losses, could not bear the thought of remaining in 
England, and had come out to the colonies to his son. I 
remained a few days with them, and after assuring them- 



268 CONCERT HALL— ADELPHI THEATRE. 

that Walter would be with them as soon as possible for 
him to leave, I returned and reported. They had heard 
some hard reports in England, before starting, about the 
state of society in the colonies, and it required all my in- 
ventive resources to explain to them satisfactorily how 
we managed to get on without the church and the stated 
preaching of the gospel; how we had to do our own wash- 
ing, and justified the necessity of our doing the same on 
Sunday, though neither Walter or myself had washed a 
shirt within the memory of the oldest inhabitant. The 
fact was, that we usually wore one until it was in the last 
stages of consumption and dirt, bought another, and 
threw the old one away. As this method would seem to 
the family extravagant, I felt it my duty to explain to 
them how others did, so they would naturalK' conclude 
that we had to do likewise. 

Walter had been engaged in building a large concert 
hall and wished me to join him in the enterprise, partic- 
ularly as his people had arrived and he would have to be 
away considerably until they got settled. So I went into 
partnership with him, and we opened the hall with the 
Empire minstrels. They took for a short time and did 
well. Then we took the company to Creswell Creek, some 
twelve miles distant, where they performed for a week. 
The company consisted of J.Hull, J.Swinerton, R.Mitchel, 
John Monroe, Ben Davis and one Wilson. I mention 
these names, as many of them are still alive (1887), and 
have since become wealth\^ and prominent men. W^e had 
an offer to move the Empire hall to Red Hill and lease it 
for a theatre to one Mrs. Hanmer, which we accepted, 



MRS. HANMER AND HER PARTNER. 269 

moved it and re-christened it the Adelphi theatre. But 
somehow Mrs. Hanmer and I could not get along happily 
together, and disagreed respecting the rent. She wished 
to paj^ in promises and smiles, which I did not consider 
legal tender, so I closed the theatre. Now there was a 
joung man, Mr. Smith, one of the firm of Moody, Nichols 
& Smith, who differed from me respecting the value of 
Mrs. Hanmer's promises and smiles. He seemed to con- 
sider them as way above par and reproached me for 
declining the lady's terms, and said he would have accepted 
her circulating medium. I told him I would sell to him 
and he could make her a present of it if he liked, and I 
finally sold it to him for three thousand five hundred 
dollars. Walter had left and so had his people, but that 
made no difference, for I knew he was as heartily sick of 
theatres and theatricals of that class as I was. We suf- 
fered no loss in that enterprise, a thing novices in the 
business are rarely known to do. Smith ran it about a 
month, when, in the last scene of this eventful history, the 
lady appeared, sans promises, sans smiles, sans money, 
sans everything but a horsewhip, which she laid over 
the head and shoulders of poor Smith with the spirit and 
vigor of a McDuff, and that closed his theatrical partner- 
ship with Mrs. Hanmer. He afterwards told me that he 
thought I was a fool for not continuing in the business, 
which he supposed had a pile of money in it. I returned 
the compliment by telling him I knew he was when he 
bought me out. 

I had occasion one day to go into a boot and shoe store 
to buy a pair of boots. The young man waiting upon 



270 DISCOVERS AN OHIO MAN. 

me seemed to be remarkably inquisitive. Asked if I was 
an American, and from what part. I said from the north. 
What state? Ohio. What part? Northern part, I said, not 
caring to be explicit, as some like, Jews in particular, to be 
familiar, they thinking that by doing so they will be more 
sure of your custom. A boot I once tried on in a Jew's 
store being of most ordinary kind, I remarked that they 
were penitentiary made boots. "Yes," said he, "they 
are from the state of Penitentiary; I have been there 
myself." So it was with hundreds that never saw the 
United States, but would claim to be from there. I was 
rather shy of the young man's multitude of inquiries, and 
at last having fitted on my boots, I was about to pay 
him the price, twenty-five dollars, when he asked me if I 
had ever been in Twirisburg, Summit count\% Ohio. This 
roused me up suddenly and I was as solicitous about him 
as he had been about me, and it now became my turn to 
ask questions, and I was delighted to answer his last 
question in the affirmative. Though much younger, he 
thought he remembered me. Was not my name Ferguson ? 
Yes. Upon that an old man jumped off his work-bench 
and asked me if I was not the son of S. H. Ferguson, 
formerly of Aurora. Upon being told that I was, he was 
completely transported with delight, although he had 
never seen me before. I was the first that he had met 
since leaving home who had come from anywhere near 
his place, and that was almost as well. After talking 
with him for awhile, and he had got all the news I pos- 
sessed, although he had left years after I did, I produced 
a ten-pound colonial note to pay for the boots. No,. 



ANXIETY FOR NEWS. 271 

he would not take a cent. Then I told him I could 
not take them. "Well," said he, "then we will com- 
promise. Those boots cost me just twelve dollars 
and fifty cents and that is all I will take of the first Port- 
age county boy that I have met since I left home." His 
name was E. S. Wooden, and his son's name was Lew. 

They were both very anxious to hear more news, so 
much so that they reminded me of the story of the man of 
Memphis, Tennessee, who met a man who used to live in 
Memphis ten years before and was anxious to hear the 
news from home. The man that had been gone a long- 
time told the man last from Memphis all the news. He 
was not satisfied and wanted to hear more. "Try and 
think of something else," he said. "Well," said the old 
traveler, "you remember the hill back of the city?" 
"Yes." "Do you remember the deep hole sunk in the top 
of the hill?" "Yes, what of it?" "Why," said he. "the 
hill has all washed away and left that hole sticking up 
two hundred feet in the air!" I shall have occasion to 
mention Mr. Wooden hereafter, for he afterguards proved 
a good and true friend to me. 

Walter had not yet returned, and I bought an interest 
in a mining claim on the gravel-pit lead for one thousand 
dollars. The sinking was about one hundred and sixty 
feet deep, and the gutters, or lead of gold, not more than 
four feet at the widest, but there was paying dirt to be 
obtained on either side the gutter, on what was termed 
the reef. The size of a claim was only twenty feet square 
for a party of men, no matter how large the party was. 
The usual custom was for some man to peg out the claim 



272 GRAVEL-PIT CLAIM. 

upon what was supposed to be where the lead was com- 
ing, and hold this for months, by a system called by the 
diggers "shepherding" — that is, he had to appear on the 
claim every day, no matter whether he worked or not. 
This lasted till the lead was w^orked up to near him . If the 
lead took a turn, which it frequently did, it would throw 
him out and his time w^as lost. If it stood what was 
called a good show, he would be able to sell out shares at 
from fifty to as high as three hundred pounds, or fifteen 
hundred dollars. Those leads were all very wet, and 
required, when set in full work, to be run night and day in 
order to keep the water down, and all parties were obliged 
to work constantly, or their claim was liable to be jumped. 
It was very wet and required a party of eight, four on a 
shift, every day, including Sundays — shaft 4 feet by 2 feet, 
10 inches wide, 100 feet deep, and timbered. It went 
through two courses of quicksand, very difficult to guard 
against. A well-hole was sunk in the bottom rock large 
enough to turn an eighteen gallon bucket, by which the 
shaft was kept dry. It was very expensive — slabs $35 per 
hundred, and 800 were required; windlass $25; rope $75; 
two 18 gallon buckets $100 more; so it was no small 
expense to furnish a claim. 

Walter had now returned and was anxious to join me, 
so we concluded to invest all we had and make or break, as 
he termed it. His eldest brother, Tom, came up with him, 
and we thought he had better look around for a time 
before he went at anything, as he was only sixteen, and 
not able to take a man's place. He was a noble fellow and 
soon became a favorite wath all. One dav he came to me- 



bentley's hotel— "murder will out." 273 

and said he had an offer to furnish a claim and take a 
share in it. I told him to take it. He was very anxious 
to do so, as the party had offered to accept him as a full 
hand to work one of the shares. Soon Walter came, who 
also had a grand chanceto furnish aclaim which was dead 
on the same lead. I told him of Tom's chance, which I 
thought was just as good. He thought not, as he said the 
lead wasnot going in that direction, and poor Tom had to 
throw up his chance, and it was a great disappointment 
to him. I would willingly have furnished it myself for 
him, only Walter was so much opposed to it that we 
abandoned the notion. Walter's claim proved a "rank duf- 
fer," as failures were called. The claim that Tom wanted 
to furnish proved the richest on the lead; in fact, it was 
the junction of the two gravel-pits on the hill, dividing 
seventy pounds of gold per share. So one will readily see 
that judgment has nothing to do with it. 

About this time there was a law to permit license for 
hotels on the diggings, and there came a man by name of 
Bentley and built a fine hotel on the Eureka reef For 
about three months he was just coining money, but one 
morning, after he had been running the hotel that long, a 
dead man was found about two hundred yards from his 
house. No one could tell how it happened. An inquest 
was held, but nothing was brought to light except that 
he was a Scotchman by the name of Cobey, I think. He 
was buried, and all went on as usual. Bentley's business 
was splendid, until one day one of his waiters got on a 
spree and he discharged him, when, as the saying is, "mur- 
der will out." It seems that Cobey came to the hotel one 



274 bentley's fate. 

night after it was closed, and because Bentley would not let 
him in, he commenced to break the windows, whereupon 
Bentley went out and hit him an unlucky' blow and killed 
him, and he and the waiter were the only ones that knew 
of it. They drew him off and left him where he was found, 
Bentley supposing the waiter so far implicated in the 
transaction that he would preserve his silence ; but in this 
he was mistaken. The fact got noised around and a mob 
assembled at the hotel and at first only wildly and loudly 
discussed the matter; but there are alwaj^s some in a great 
crowd ready to intensify an excitement, and the mob 
increasing to some three thousand, and the police coming 
by scores, which seemed to excite the crowd the more, 
stones soon commenced to fly at the windows, which were 
soon all broken out, and finally the house was fired, and 
in three hours from the appearance of the first man on the 
ground, the whole was in ashes. Bentley was afterwards 
arrested and tried for the murder; was found guilty of 
manslaughter and sentenced to imprisonment for three 
years. Had he at once let the thing be known, he, doubt- 
less, w^ould have got off with from three to six months, 
and saved his house and business, where he was making 
his fortune. 



THE BALLARAT WAR. 275 



CHAPTER XIX. 

The Ballarat Rebellion — Its Causes — Petitions to Govern- 
ment— Police— Troops— Miners Prepare for War— Peter Lalor 
— Americans Protest — California Rangers — The Battle — 
Miners Taken Prisoners — Surrender to the Police — Im- 
prisonment. 

'T^^HE great event of a public nature in Australia was 
-■- the Ballarat rebellion, which, though subdued by 
military power, nevertheless caused a revolution in the 
affairs of the colonial government. Open expression of 
dissatisfaction with onerous laws and official oppression 
was first made by the miners at Bendigo in the latter part 
of 1853. Among the many grievances they suffered and 
of which they complained were, that every miner, and, in 
fact, every man on the diggings, was compelled to pay a 
monthl}^ license to the government of thirty shillings, or 
seven dollars and a half of our money ; that licenses were 
issued on common paper which the holder was obliged to 
carr}^ upon his person and produce it as often as called 
upon by the authorities to do so, no matter if it was a 
dozen times a day. The digger carrying it constantly upon 
his person at work, it would become worn out before half 
the term had expired, and then his only course would be 



276 miners' grievances. 

to hasten and purchase another, or otherwise run the risk 
of being arrested and imprisoned by being tied to a tree, 
and fined by the authorities. The diggings by this time 
had become so densely populated that they were paying 
over half of the revenue ; besides, they had no one to repre- 
sent their case in parliament or any branch of the colonial 
government. 

The portion of the population called diggers, because 
they followed mining or were on the diggings, were total!}' 
disfranchised, although they possessed the most general 
intellio^ence and some of the best talent in the colonv. A 
convention of miners and others on the diggings met at 
Bendigo in August, '53, where banners and mottoes of the 
old revolution were displayed, such as "Taxation Without 
Representation is Robbery, "etc. A deputation was sent to 
Melbourne to petition the government to take into con- 
sideration their case at once, setting forth to that august 
assembly how their digger brethren were treated by their 
officials; how they had been chained to logs over night 
when they had already complied with the law and had 
paid their license, but the paper had become obliterated or 
entirely worn out, and that they were treated more like 
dogs than Christian men. They prayed to have thelicense 
reduced, and also that itbeissued in some form that would 
enable the holder to preserve it during the full term. 

This petition had the desired effect, in part, the license 
being reduced to two pounds (ten dollars) for three 
months ; but there was more difficult^'' than before, for the 
license was issued on the same poor quality of paper and 
for just three times the length, or for nine months for 



«w^ 







?77 



278 OFFICIAL OPPRESSION. 

thirty dollars, and the government was more stringent, 
if possible, in enforcing the law than before. Things went 
on in this way from bad to worse, until the last straw 
that broke the camel's back was put on, which, had they 
fed the straw to the camel, it might have enabled him to 
bear his burden a little longer, and the lives of many lost 
intheBallarat war might have been spared; but the revolt 
was to come, and it did come at last. 

A new commissioner arrived at Ballarat who was 
determined to enforce the obnoxious laws at all hazards. 
His name was Harrison or Hamilton, I have forgotten 
which, and he used to send out the police or government 
detectives early in the morning, escorted by a body of 
mounted troops, so that if any unfortunate who had no 
license should attempt to escape, the troops could run him 
down as they would a fox. But the diggers were awake 
to the occasion, and no sooner did the troops made their 
appearance coming down the hill than the diggers would 
pass the peculiar watch-word, "Jo,'' along the line for 
miles. The first miner would strike the note and it would 
pass from luan to man to the remotest digger in the gulch, 
faster than a steam-car would travel, and consequently 
there was no show for the troops or squad of detectives, 
for all those who had no license would haveplent}^ of time 
to get down into their holes. Finally the officials deter- 
mined to examine the holes and shafts b}^ entering them, 
but it was not a pleasant job, and few of the petty officials, 
had the courage to go down. In one instance a digger 
was killed in Reed's Creek, near Beech worth. The officer 
was going down into a claim and carrying his gun, which 



THE WAR BEGUN. 279 

such detective police were allowed to carry, when by some 
mishap he struck the cock of the gun and it went off, the 
charge taking effect and killing a poor fellow who was 
looking on. The miners thereabouts were immediately 
aroused and the detective was instantly dispatched. 
Then a large force of miners went to the official camp and 
drove them off the creek to Beechworth. Things had got 
to such a pass there was no standing it any longer, and 
the miners turned out en masse and held a meeting at 
Bakery Hill and passed resolutions to that effect, built a 
fire and every man there stepped up and put his license in 
the blaze and then went home, having his doubts what 
the morrow would bring forth. The morrow came, and 
so did the troops. They were sent in double and treble 
numbers to what had ever before come out. The diggers 
stuck to one another and waited till they undertook to 
arrest some of the crowd, when they went to the rescue 
and turned upon the troops like so many tigers. The 
troops fired a volley over their heads, which only added 
fuel to the flames, and the diggers at once came down on 
the troops with sticks and stones and soon drove them 
back to camp. The commissioner kept in the rear, out 
of harm's way, and ordered the troops to another charge. 
The die was cast; the first blow had been struck; there 
was no retreat ; and the diggers met them manfulh', and 
for the second time sent them back to camp, more crest- 
fallen than before. War had now begun in earnest be- 
tween the diggers on the one hand and the commissioners 
on the other ; but the government was bound to take the 
side of the commissioners, and that the diggers well knew. 



280 GOVERNMENT ACTIVITY— REBEL OFFICERS. 

The thing now to do was to prepare for the worst, for 
well they knew there would be no compromise on the part 
of the government, and as for the diggers, thev did not 
ask it. The government was not idle, and at once com- 
menced to forward every soldier in the Victoria colony^ 
and sent to Sidney for more, and to New Zealand and 
Tasmania for all the old pensioners, mounted police, and 
force of every kind, horse, foot and dragoons. In a short 
time every available soldier in the Australian colonies, and 
all minor forces, with all the cannon of Melbourne and 
Sidney, were concentrated at Ballarat. Upon the whole, 
things looked rather warlike on the side of the govern- 
ment. The diggers, however, had not been idle, and had 
formed a camp, or stockade, oti the hill where the Eureka 
hotel had stood, and known as the Eureka stockade. 
They had collected all the available timbers and built up a 
breastwork, preparatory to a sudden attack. All work 
in the mines had been suspended, and every digger had 
gathered all the arms and ammunition that could be pro- 
cured. 

There had been word received from the Castlemain, 
Bendigo and Creswick creek diggers that they were com- 
ing to our relief. We had the sympathy of the merchants 
and traders, and all the powder they had was freely given. 
There had been officers appointed, and all the blacksmiths 
were engaged making Irish pikes. Peter Lalor was 
appointed leader, or first officer ; August Verne, a German, 
second ; and James McGill, third— he was an Irish-Ameri- 
can. There was a young Canadian named Ross, a man 
of force and spirit, who was killed. Thus far the Ameri- 



AMERICANS IN COUNCIL. 281 

cans had not taken an active part in the affair, but the 
time had now come when they were compelled to act or 
stand neutral. Others complained that we were doing 
nothing, while it was a matter of as much interest to us 
as to them, and began to accuse us of cowardice. There- 
fore, a meeting of Americans was called and held at the 
Adelphi theatre, to take into consideration the subject, 
and determine as to the duties and obligations of the occa- 
sion. Many were enthusiastic and desired to enlist in the 
Digger army. As for myself, I could not see the necessity 
or propriety of rushing into a revolt against government 
authority until we considered what it was going to 
amount to, and told them we had come to the country 
not very favorably impressed with the laws, but had 
found them quite as lenient as we had expected to ; that 
there was no law compelling us to stay, and those who 
were dissatisfied with the country or its laws, had a per- 
fect risfht to leave. I then offered a resolution in sub- 
stance as follows : 

That this meeting contemplates the present aspect of 
affairs between the government and the mining commu- 
nitv of the colony of Victoria with feelings of the deepest 
regret. But that we, as citizens of the United States 
of America, do not consider it our duty to take any 
decisive part on either side until further events shall trans- 
pire ; therefore, Resolved, That we, citizens of the United 
States of America, will take no part in the above men- 
tioned affair, but remain neutral until the developments 
and necessities of the future shall determine our duty 
otherwise. 



282 IN SYMPATHY— COWARDICE. 

The Americans that attended this meeting had been 
present at Bakery Hill when the licenses were burned, but 
they had all abandoned work and were in full and hearty 
sympathy with the miners, though they did not want to 
take any active part until a blow had been struck. We re- 
garded ourselves as foreigners, and had no right to be fore- 
most in an open outbreak against the government. This 
meeting caused much hard feeling against the Americans, 
the diggers contending that it was everyone's affair, and 
that they fully depended on our assistance. We told them 
that if they went on they would have our sympathy, and 
if they made a stand they would not find us wanting, but 
we were not going to have it thrown upon our shoulders 
that we were the instigators of the outbreak, which it 
would be if it failed, and which, I ventured to add, it 
would ; for which remark I was called a coward. I told 
them time would tell, if the trouble went on, whether or 
not I was a coward; that there were those who had not 
yet participated in the affair that would, when the proper 
time came, act as bravely as some who were now so en- 
thusiastic. 

This conversation was with Verne, the German, second 
in command, who, I am sorry to say, was afterwards the 
first man to run, and when I asked him what, in God's 
name, he was running for, he said, "To stop the rest." 
Lalor at last came to the Americans and had a talk. He 
seemed to have more sense and judgment than the rest, 
and expressed his desire that we should hold ourselves in 
readiness, for he had no doubt when the time came and 
we were wanted, we would respond with alacrity. After 



LALOR RELIANCE— THE ATTACK. 283 

this interview, we formed ourselves into a company, calling 
ourselves the California Rangers, and drilled as such, with 
the distinct understanding that we were independent of the 
others, and not in the least under their control, but fully 
determined when the time came it should never be said 
that the California Rangers were measured and found 
wanting. Many of our men were old Mexican soldiers of 
'46-'47. Anyone was allowed in the camp or stockade 
who wished to visit it, and the consequence was that the 
government sent in spies who kept the enemy posted in 
every move of the diggers. Word came that the cannon 
were coming which the government had ordered from Mel- 
bourne. This was a move of the government to induce the 
diggers to send out a party to intercept them, under the 
idea of thus weakening the government force. The diggers 
took the bait, and McGill w^as sent out on the second of 
December for that purpose. He took with him three hun- 
dred of the best armed men, and all picked men. The 
arms of the diggers were of course inferior, being only 
just what could be obtained in the mining districts. News 
was received from Castlemain and Bendigo that reinforce- 
ments might be expected in twenty-four hours, which had 
the effect to put every digger in high spirits. Word was 
expected to come the next morning from McGill that he 
had captured the cannon. They were constantly hearing, 
news from the government forces, and that the}' were very 
much dispirited, therefore an attack from them was not 
expected. However, on the morning of Decembers, 1854, at 
the early hour of three, it being Sunday, and a great num- 
ber at home asleep in bed, never so much as dreaming of 



284 TO arms! rangers to the front! 

an attack, the enemy marched out of their camp, one 
thousand regulars of the Twelfth and Fortieth regiments, 
together with fifteen hundred troopers, and moved directly 
toward the stockade. 

Word had come into our camp about one o'clock of the 
same morning that some arms and ammunition were 
secreted in a house on Bakery hill, and I was sent with 
a detachment of men to seize it. On our way out we 
took two men we suspected as spies, and the two men 
that had given the information about the arms, who 
were with us to direct us to the house, manifested so much 
uneasiness I had suspicion of them and put them under 
arrest also, and leaving them behind, under guard, took 
six men and went on myself to make the search. Just 
as I arrived at Bakery hill, we saw the whole body of 
troops ascending the hill. We immediately went back to 
the party we had left, and determined to make our way 
back to the stockade and report what we had seen. We 
had barely arrived there when the pickets came running 
in with the information that the enemy were upon us. 
The alarm wassGunded"To Arms!" I had arrived not one 
minute too soon. Had I been but a moment later I should 
have been shut out, for the stockade was in a brief time 
surrounded. They had come down on us just as the light 
of day was breaking in the east. We were formed in line, 
and the first order receivedwas,"C alifornia Rangers to 
the front!" The Fortieth regiment was advancing, but 
had not as yet discharged a shot. We could now see 
plainlv the officer and hear his orders, when one of our 
men, Captain Burnctte, stepped a little in front, elevated 



THE BATTLE. 285 

liis rifle, took aim and fired. The officer fell. Captain 
Wise was liis name. This -was the first shot in the Bal- 
larat war. It was said by many that the soldiers fired 
the first shot, but that is not true, as is well known to 
many. W. R. Hall, now living at Sidney, was standing 
alongside of me and next to Burnette when he fired the 
shot that killed Captain Wise. No sooner did that officer 
fall than the soldiers were ordered to fire on us, which 
they did, and then charged. The fire had a terrible effect, 
but we returned it with like effect, as deadly as theirs. 
Just at this time, when the splinters from the timbers of 
the breastwork were flying the thickest, Verne came run- 
ning past. I asked him what he was running for. "To 
stop the others," was his reply. I had my own opinion 
about it. It was now the most exciting time I had ever 
witnessed. It was a hand "to hand fight. The soldiers 
were in among us. Lalor was shot in the arm, and Hull 
pulled off his necktie and we wound that around it. He 
was bleeding profusely and before we were through had 
fainted from loss of blood. We put him in a shallow hole 
and covered it over with some slabs. I lost sisfht of 
Walter during the fight, and he afterwards told me that 
he saw the day was lost, jumped the stockade and made 
his escape. I was near poor Ross, and he said, "Charlie 
it is no use, the men have all left us," and the next instant 
he said, "My God, I am shot," and fell. Before I had time 
to look andseehowbadlj'he was hurt, a soldier demanded 
my surrender, to which I politely answered that I would 
see him dam'd first, and made my first attempt to escape. 
In the excitement I had not missed the rest, and upon 



286 PRISONERS OF WAR. 

looking around discovered that I was almost alone. It 
was said that Ross was shot after he had surrendered, 
but that was not so. As I jumped the stockade I fell, 
and the soldier who had demanded my surrender fired, and 
the ball passed through my hat. The fall resulted in mak- 
ing me a prisoner. I was not long, however, in getting- 
onto my feet, but found a party of troopers had headed 
me off in that direction. Turning I jumped back into the 
stockade, but was there met by an^-- number of soldiers. 
I attempted to rush through, but was seized upon by 
several and we had it rough and tumble for a few brief 
seconds, and I finally got through and struck for another 
place to make my escape. The soldiers had been ordered 
to cease firing, but the police kept it up when they saw 
a poor fellow trying his best to get away. It had now 
become impossible for me to escape, as I had again been 
headed off, and seeing Captain Carter of the police, I ran 
to him and surrendered. I had only one thought for self- 
congratulation, and that was that the soldiers did not 
take rrie. 

There was an American, James Brown, who had been a 
man-of-war's man; he jumped onto a rope and slid down a 
hole over a hundred feet deep, and afterwards climbed the 
rope. He was an expert on a rope — could go hand over 
hand till he was tired, then hold himself by his feet till he 
had rested his arms and then climb again. He afterwards 
told me he believed he was two hours climbing out of that 
hole. They took one hundred and fifteen prisoners. A 
poor woman came running out in her night dress and 
begged of them to give her her husband, but she was only 



THE GHASTLY SCENE. 287 

pushed around roughly by the soldiers, when at last the 
commanding officer rode up and ordered them to deliver 
to the woman her husband. That was a manly officer. 
The woman was Mrs. John Tye, who, with her husband, 
is still living (1887) and keeps a hotel in the city of Sidney. 
While standing on the field with Captain Carter I was 
enabled to observe the ghastly scene. The morning sun 
was just rising and spreading its light over the forms of 
dead and wounded men, who, but a few minutes before, 
were in full health and manly vigor, but now many lay in 
their long, last sleep, and others moaning in their pain, 
some only for a brief time, for death was sure to come to 
their relief. Prisoners were frightened out of their senses ; 
and asking the soldiers what would be done with them, 
the consoling answer was, " Wh}^ hung, of course." 
Some who were the most frightened were the bravest only 
a few hours before ; others were sullen and said nothing. 
The whole of them were subjected to a thorough search by 
the soldiers — robbed rather, for all the money they found 
on a prisoner I noticed they put in their own pockets. 
When I surrendered I had upon me a Colt's revolver and a 
bowie-knife. These I slipped down my trousers' leg and 
kicked them out on the ground. I had, besides, some fifty 
dollars in money, which I put in the lining of my hat and 
they did not get it. After they had taken all the prisoners 
they could get, we were marched to headquarters. Here 
again we were searched by the authorities, and those on 
whom arms were found were listed as such. Then I 
rejoiced that I had rid myself of my revolver and knife. 



288 "born for the gallows. 



CHAPTER XX. 

In Jail— Ragged and Bloody— The Only American Prisoner of War 
—Friends — An Editor in Limbo — Wooden and Nichols Arrive- 
Charge of High Treason — Preparation for Trial — Trial and 
Acquittal — Rejoicing of Friends— Jealousy— Partiality Towards 
the Young American — United States Consul — Interview with 
THE Governor— Peace Restored— Diggings Resumed. 

THE prisoners were then confined in a log-jail, so 
crowded that it was utterly impossible for one to 
sit or lie down. I soon found myself in a painful condition, 
physically; my face had become greatly swollen from blows 
and bruises in the struggle with the soldiers, for there was 
some pretty rough handling on both sides. My clothes 
were torn and completely besmeared with blood. Cer- 
tainly I felt I was not, either in countenance or apparel, 
in condition to be presented at court— either of her 
majesty's of England, or even that of the governor of the 
colony of Victoria. And now I was left to reflect on the 
prophetic wisdom of my grandmother. When that vener- 
able old lady and myself had a little misunderstanding, 
she would forewarn my mother of the ultimate destiny 
of her child — "Depend upon it, Ann, that boy is born for 
the gallows!" And, sure enough, here I was, with that 
fatal instrument apparently close at hand. Being the 



VISITED IN JAIL. 289 

only American taken prisoner, I regarded that circum- 
stance as unfortunate, as they must of necessity hang me 
as an example to my countrymen. Well, I made up my 
mind if I was to be an example I would be a good one — 
one that others might pattern by, for I was disgusted 
with the sniveling of many of my fellow-prisoners. 

I had not been in jail more than two hours when the 
door was opened and my name was called. I wondered if 
they were going to make such short work of me as that, 
but I thought if so, the sooner the better, as I would not 
have so much time to dread it. I stepped forward and 
asked, in an apparently careless and indifferent manner, 
what they wanted. Judge of my surprise when H. G. 
Nichols, of the house of Moody, Nichols & Smith, came 
forward and told me he had come to see me and let me 
know that my friends would do everything in their power 
for me, and that Walter and Tom were safe and not hurt. 
That was a great relief, for had they been my own broth- 
ers I could not have felt more anxious about them. He 
soon left, telling me he would be back, that he had got 
permission to bring me food and some clothes ; and not 
long after returned with my dinner and a suit of clothes 
which I very much needed. We were kept huddled together 
in jail until the next morning, when Nichols came again 
and told me he had spoken to the authorities and that I 
would soon be moved into the soldiers' barracks, and 
that day I was so removed, along with about sixty others. 
In the course of the day they brought in the editor of the 
Ballarat Times and chained him to me. This was the first 
of the chaining process. He told me he had been arrested 



290 ^ FRIENDS BRING NKWS. 

that morning for writing treasonable articles in his paper. 
I felt for the poor man, for he was in delicate health and 
seemed to take the matter very hard. His mind dwelt on 
the very blackest side possible. I inquired of him what 
he thought they would do with us. He seemed to think 
they would go to the very extreme. The government, he 
said, had shown no merc}' before and there was none to 
be expected— at least he expected none— if we got any he 
should be surprised. 

That evening Nichols and E. S. Wooden arrived to see 
me. Wooden had heard of my arrest only that morning 
in Melbourne, and had rode that day a distance of eighty 
miles. He was very much excited over my arrest, and 
assured me that nothing would be left undone that could 
be done for me. Nichols told me that Walter and Tom 
A'ished him to tell me that the reason they did not come 
to me was because they dared not, and to assure me that 
there would be no expense too great to procure my release. 
They left, promising to come as often as possible, which 
they did nearly every day. They informed me that Ross 
died of his wounds, but that Lalor was safe; that the 
government had offered a re ward of a thousand pounds for 
him— "But," said he, "they might offer twenty thousand, 
and then not get him." I knew by that that they knew he 
was safe, and looks sometimes speak louder than words. 
He said that his arm had to be amputated, that Dr. Carr, 
who afterwards died in the lunatic as^dum at Kew, and 
Dr. Kins worthy, an American, formerly surgeon at Black- 
well's Island, performed the operation. The character and 
merits of a cause, and especially the cause of the miners in 



PREPARING FOR TRIAL. 291 

the Ballarat rebellion, may be judged of in no small degree 
correctly by the character of its leader; and the public es- 
timate of Peter Lalor in Australia may be correctly' in- 
ferred from the fact that so recently as 1885 he was speaker 
of the colonial parliament of Victoria. When the}- came 
again, Dr. Kinsworthy came with them and went through 
a, pretended medical examination of me and led the author- 
ities to understand that he had been treating me for some 
time and that this was a professional call. I took the hint 
without being told, but was afraid Wooden would let the 
cat out through his own anxiety, zeal and nervous ex- 
citabilit3^ 

Days rolled on rather slowly till a week was measured — 
the longest week I then thought I had ever spent. At last 
I was told the trial of prisoners would commence in the 
course of a few daj-s, and that we were to be placed upon 
trial under the charge of high treason against her majesty's 
government. The day came, and some were tried in squads 
of sixes and sevens. The day before I was tried, Nichols 
and Wooden came. The old man looked so pleased I knew 
he thought he had good news for me. When he got a 
chance he whispered that he would "square it all right." 
Mr. Racket and Captain Carter were with them. Before 
Racket left, he told me in a friendly way that it would be' 
necessary for me to have a statement of how I came to be 
within the Eureka stockade at the time of the engagement. 
I was ready for that, having already prepared one. 
Nichols spoke up and said, "We can rely on Ferguson to 
explain how he came to be there." This gave me the cue 
to work on, although nothing more had been said. Then 



292 BLACK SUIT AND LOUD HAT. 

Dr. Kinsworthy called professionally, and conversed with 
me about his former treatment and what he would have 
to do after he had given his present treatment another 
month's trial. Now this settled all queries in my mind, 
and, strange to say, it was the same scheme I had planned 
before getting my cue from the doctor. We were taken 
out in squads and walked around to be identified. There 
were three or four that had identified me during the first 
four days I was there, but of late I had not been taken 
out. On the morning of the third day of the session of 
court I w^as informed that my case would be heard that 
day. 

Nichols and Wooden came as usual, and this time with a 
new suit of clothes. The old man whispered to me not to 
put them on until the last moment before I was to be 
taken before the tribunal. Soon I was ordered to get 
ready to go out for identification, and now I dressed 
myself in a long black suit and a loud silk hat, and looked 
more like a Methodist minister than a Ballarat digger. 
This time when taken out I wasnot handcuffed to anyone. 
Four others were taken out handcuffed together. I was 
allowed to walk along with Captain Carter and another 
man, whose name I have forgotten. The soldiers and 
police were called and asked if they identified any of the 
prisoners. They never looked at me, and none of the 
others were recognized. Captain Carter asked each of his 
men the same question and all answered "no." The cap- 
tain turned to me and seemed to look pleased, and said, 
" These are the men that thought they knew 3'ou." I was 
now conducted into court without further ceremony and 



THE TRIAL. 



293 



soon my trial commenced. The first witness was Mr. 
Hacket, who testified to seeing me come to Captain Car- 
ter and surrender myself a prisoner ; that he saw no fire- 
arms on me. Captain Carter testified to my surrender to 
him, and that he saw no fire-arms, and there were no fire- 
arms on me when searched on the field. This was all the 
testimony for the prosecution, when the bench announced 
that it was necessary for the prisoner to explain to the 
court how he happened to be there. Just as I was about 
to explain, a soldier of the Fortieth, who had been in 
court during the prosecution, stepped forward and in- 
formed the court that he recognized the prisoner, and he 
was ordered to take the witness stand. He testified that 
he saw me in the stockade on the morning of the third ; 
that he saw me in the act of loading a pistol; that he called 
upon me to surrender; that I answered him that I would 
see him damned first and jumped the stockade; thathefired 
and I fell, and he supposed he had killed me, as he had seen 
nothing more of me from that time until the present 
moment. I was asked if I desired to question the witness. 
I answered that I did, and was granted the privilege. 

I asked him if he had ever seen me before that time. 

''No, not that I know of." 

"Have you ever seen me since ?" 

"No." 

" What time in the morning was it ?" 

"Just after daylight." 

"What distance was you from me when you demanded 
my surrender?" 

"About sixty feet." 



294 PRISONER DISCHARGED. 

" Could you swear positive! \^ to the identitj- of a person 
you had not seen for ten days and never to your knowledge 
had seen before that time?" 

"I think I could identify him." 

"Are you positive I am the man you shot at, yes or no?" 

"I think so." 

I still claimed a positive answer, "yes" or "no." 

He would not give a positive answer. 

"What sort of clothes did I have on ?" 

"I can not tell." 

I then recalled Mr. Hacket, who at once said that I wore 
a drab suit. 

The court then asked me to explain how I happened to 
be there. I complied by stating that curiosity took me 
there; that I had for a long time been sick and under the 
care of Dr. Kinsworthy ; that the evening before 1 had 
walked to the Eureka stockade with that gentleman 
(which was true); that we had lingered there longer than 
we had expected, and being acquainted with Mr. Ross, and 
he knowing that I was in bad health, had kindly offered 
me his bed, which I accepted ; that I went to bed and slept 
soundly, was awakened by the firing, got up and dressed 
in haste, but by this time it was impossible to make my 
escape, and that deeming it the proper course for me to 
pursueunder theembarrassments of my situation, I sought 
for Captain Carter and surrendered mj^self to him. 

The court at once said— "The prisoner is discharged." 

No sooner had the court said those words than I was 
picked up and carried out, and as soon as outside wa;s 
raised to men's shoulders and never touched the ground 



REJOICINGS. 295 

again until we arrived at the George hotel. There I was 
deposited behind the bar, and turning around I at once 
set down the bottles, and the crowd helped themselves. 
Upon asking Mr. Howe, the proprietor, what the charge 
was, hereplied, " Not acent — only you must drink with me." 
So all hands had a second drink. Just at this moment 
Nichols and Wooden arrived with a troop of witnes.ses, 
but only in time to participate in the general rejoicing at 
my discharge. Wooden, in his zeal in my behalf, had in- 
spired manv to come who knew nothing of the facts in my 
case, and Dr. Kinsworthy asked him what he had expected 
his crowd of witnesses could swear to, especially those he 
had brought from a great distance from the scene of the 
battle. "Swear?" said Wooden, "why swear he wasn't 
there — swear a leg off an iron pot — swear to anything to 
save that boy from the gallows !" 

The doctor gently .suggested to him that such testimony 
■would be likely to do me hurt rather than good. But the 
old man, in his overwrought anxiety for me, did not take 
the doctor's words kindly, but sharply advised the doctor 
to go right straight to the hot country, saying, "Hurt 
him! Vv^e want no witnesses that can't do Charlie good." 
Had the kind and zealous old man been allowed to go on 
in his own way he would most likely have injured me, but 
Nichols was more cool and considerate and managed more 
prudently ; in fact, all my friends did well. Walter and 
Tom dare not show up, but were as anxious and willing as 
any. Wooden drank my health, his own, Nichols', every- 
body's — except the British government's — until he said 
the next day he had had a sunstroke. I think it must 



296 JOURNALISTIC EXPRESSIONS. 

have been something like that, for no one ever saw him the 
worse for liquor before. The trial of the other prisoners 
lasted for some days. Most of those taken had nothing 
to do with the affair, but had merely run out of their huts 
on hearing the firing and were scooped by the police and 
troops. Walter had a narrow escape. He was pursued 
by the police for two miles, and finally dodged them in a 
gully. Many left the place until the excitement abated. I 
think there were only nine in all that were sent to Mel- 
bourne as state prisoners to be tried for high treason, 
among whom was the editor of the Ballarat Times. The 
sympathy of the whole colony was aroused in their behalf 
The papers took up the matter more earnestly than before, 
censuring the government and all its officials. They ac- 
cused those gentlemen of receiving bribes, and of official 
partiality, dwelling largely upon the case of the young 
American who, they said, was not in prison with the rest 
because he had friends and money ; that had the others 
been supplied in the same manner as I had been they also 
would have been at liberty, but I was a foreigner, and be- 
ing such, could come here and attempt to overthrow the 
government, and when arrested could buy m}^ wa^^ out 
of prison and be free, while a British subject must lie im- 
prisoned — that was colonial justice ! So much was said 
in the papers of like tenor that my friends began to feel 
uneasy as to whether I was even yet safe, and insisted 
that I should keep out of the way for awhile and see how 
things might turn. 

The subject w^ as talked over as to the safest place for me, 
and the conclusion was Melbourne. If they wanted me,. 




FLINDER'S lane — MELBOURNE. 



298 MEETLNG THE GOVERNOR. 

that was the last place they would think of looking, 
so I was packed off to that city until more quiet times. 
I was sent there with letters to James M. Tarlton, the 
American consul, a Massachusetts man and a thorough- 
bred Yankee, and as good and kind-hearted a man as ever 
lived. Many of the American boys will remember "Uncle 
Jimmy." He was a personal friend of the governor, Sir 
Ch arles Hothan, who had held high position in the 
British navy, and one of the heroes of the Nile under Nel- 
son. Our consul said he would see the governor and lay 
my case before him, and I w^aited one day very anxious 
as to the result of his visit. When at last he returned, 
he told me the governor had expressed a desire to see this 
young American there was so much talk about, and he 
had made an appointment for me to meet him the next 
day. Would I go? Certainly, if it was the governor's 
pleasure and request; and we went. That morning there 
■was an editorial in the Daily Age, the burden of which 
was that the j^oung American was supposed to have left 
the colonies; that Captain McMahan had found that 
the people would not stand such mockery; that while a 
foreigner was allowed his 1 berty, the countryman had 
to lie in jail, and that the captain had notified me that he 
would be compelled to arrest me again, and th at I had 
taken the hint and left for parts unknown. 

Upon arriving at the governor's, his excellency expressed 
his surprise at seeing in me a beardless boy, when he had 
expected to see one far different, of stalwart and manly ap- 
pearance. He conversed freely and asked me a great many 
questions about my former life, and also about the mining 



REPLIES TO THE PRESS. 299' 

districts and the diggers, and about the present ti'oubles 
and the causes thereof, all of which I answered to the 
best of my ability. He was a person of that quiet and 
pleasant grace of manner that one would soon feel at 
perfect ease with, notwithstanding his high official posi- 
tion. He was rather under size in stature, quick spoken, 
with rather a subdued tone of voice. After many other 
questions, he asked me if I was not afraid to come there 
and see him. How did I know but he would turn around 
and give me in charge for treason? I answered him 
promptly, no; he had expressed a wish to see me and I 
had no fear of his having me arrested ; I had no fear of 
treachery or bad faith in one of whose heroic deeds at 
Aboukir and Trafalgar all England was proud to boast. 
Such an answer seemed to be unexpected to him, and 
touched his heart. He laid his hand upon my shoulder 
and said, "Go about your business, boy, you shall not 
be hurt." Believe me, I went, and that too with a 
mighty heavy load off my mind, which I had carried "or 
the few days last past. It was not the fear of punish- 
ment, but the thought of lingering in prison. I had had 
enough of that. 

The first thing I did after leaving the governor was to 
write to the Age, contradicting its morning article, telling 
them that I never had the pleasure of seeing Captain Mc- 
Mahan, nor did I know if that gentleman knew of the 
existence of any such person as myself; that I had not 
left the country, did not intend doing so; that I was 
now here in Melbourne expecting soon to return 
to Ballarat, and could there be found following my 



300 MINING LAWS. 

daily occupation as a miner; that I had had one exam- 
ination and been acquitted, but if the government 
was not satisfied, I was willing to surrender myself 
for another examination, and that the public jour- 
nals were at liberty to scrape up all the evidence they 
could against me, if they felt so disturbed over my 
release. 

This settled all the newspaper scribbling about my case. 
All this newspaper criticism, however, was only to create 
sympathy for the prisoners. Had I been among them 
they would have blown their horn as loudly for me as for 
the others. The word "Jo," was now no longer heard by 
the police, for there were no more officials dogging the 
diggers for license since the war. The government had 
withdrawn them and consequently there was no more Jo- 
ing the police, and it was said that Jo was dead. 

The diggings had been entirely abandoned for over a 
month, and the shafts were all filled with water, which it 
would take at least three months to bail out, so all was 
yet at a dead stand-still. Parliament soon passed an act 
regulating the mines and establishing district courts, the 
members of which were to be elected from among the miners, 
called the "Court of Mines." There were five districts— 
Ballarat, Bendigo, Castlemain, Meriborough and Beech- 
worth; five members composed each court, with authority 
to make local rules having the effect of laws to suit their 
respective districts. Licenses thereafter were to be issued 
on parchment, and so the revolt had already begun to 
bear the desired fruit. A new constitution was in contem- 



MINERS ENFRANCHISED. 301 

plation, enfranchising the mining population and enabling 
them to be represented in parliament. This seemed to 
satisfy them and work was resumed throughout the dig- 
Sfinss. 



302 SUCH IS LUCK. 



CHAPTER XXI. 

Wadagalac Diggings— a Store— Success— A Gold Broker— Robbery 
AND Murder of Murphy — Punishment — The Black Guide — 
Thick Skull — Dealing with Tramps— Return to Ballarat— A 
Struggle with Robbers — The Ballarat Bank — The Famous. 
Bank Robbery— A Woman in the Affair. 

IT took some time to get the claims all bailed dry, the 
windlasses going night and day at that alone. Walter 
and I had got into one claim after another, until we 
had all we could manage. When the riot broke out we 
had one which we supposed to be dead on the lead, and we 
were in high spirits when we got to work again. This 
turned out, however, to be an almost perfect failure; and 
so it was with one after another until six months found us 
totally bankrupt, and about four hundred pounds in debt. 
Rather a sad result for two men who six months before 
had started with a capital of twenty-six hundred 
pounds each. But such is the luck of one who follows gold 
digging. At this time there was a party of men who had 
gone down a gully which opened into the Wadagalac creek, 
one of whom I knew. He had come up from there a few 
days before, and had told me that if I came down in a few 
days I would be able to tell better as to the prospect of 
permanent diggings there. Leaving Walter and Tom, I 



MERCANTILE CREDIT. 303 

started one morning at early light, making the twenty- 
eight miles by noon, and found the party in high spirits. 
They had struck paying gold at fourteen feet with excel- 
lent prospects. I concluded to return at once and make 
arrano^ements to move there. There w^ere no diCTgrinES 
within thirteen miles, and consequently no store for sup- 
plies, and I thought we would be obliged to lay in a stock 
at Ballarat. I got back at nine o'clock in the evening, 
having walked a distance of fifty-six miles that day. 

I went to Nichols that night, told him of the situation 
and advised him to start a store there at once, as there 
was bound to be a big rush there in a few da3^s. He said 
he would see me in the morning. Next morning he said it 
was impossible for him to go there, as they had all they 
could attend to there, and asked me why I did not. I told 
him that was out of the question, as we were already 
in debt four hundred and twenty pounds, and how that 
was to be paid until we struck something was more than 
I could tell. He said all I owed was to Wooden and him- 
self, and he would let me have all the things I wanted in 
his line ; told me to go over and see Wooden — he would let me 
have what boots and shoes I wanted — then he would back 
me to Edwards and Galagher, and to start on my owr^ 
responsibilit}'. He went with me to Wooden — the old man 
said I could have all I required— then to Edwards and 
Galagher, who gave me credit for five hundred pounds. 
My first day's bill for stock was thirty-five hundred dol- 
lars. I hired two teams and started next day. In the 
meantime, it was understood with Walter and Tom that 
Walter was to remain in Ballarat and Tom was to "o 



304 MAKE OR BREAK. 

with me. Tom and I went on ahead of the teams to get 
our place built for the goods. We got there the same night, 
hired some blacks to strip some bark while we cut some 
poles, and by the third day after leaving Ballarat we had 
our store up and complete, with the help the boys had 
given us. The news of the rush to the new diggings spread 
like wild-fire, and people were flocking in by hundreds, and 
no sooner had the teams arrived with our goods than we 
commenced to sell out of the hind end of the drays, and 
before they left the next morning we were obliged to send 
back a larger order than my first purchase. I engaged the 
drags to come directly back with as little delay as possible, 
which they did . Included in my order this time was brandy, 
dark and pale, port-wine, gin, ale and porter in ample 
casks. I must make or break, and I knew I could do a 
good business in such necessities of English colonial mining 
life. In this I was not mistaken, for I was soon making 
more on my liquor than all my other goods. The rush was 
increasing every day, and I was completely sold out before 
the drays got back, but we had got things fixed up in the 
meantime more ship-shape. 

There was no bakery there, so, of course, no bread. 
There were already two or three rival stores starting up, 
but none as yet had any goods. When my drays arrived, 
there was a greater run upon them than before. All 
the flour I had was sold in less than twenty minutes, and 
a six-horse wagon, loaded with nothing but bread, 
filled to the top of the cover, arrived, which I bought and 
sent the man back for another load. 

The diggings were turning out well and people still 



A GOLD BROKER. ^^^ 



coming, but there were yet no buyers of gold, or banks 
or places to deposit for safe keeping. I went to 
Ballarat and made arrangements with a gold-broker 
there to supply me with money to buygold. The onlyditfi- 
€ulty was to escape the bush-rangers and get into town 
with it. I thought I would try it at any rate, for there 
was a large profit on it. I purchased all the diggers sold 
^nd, also, all the other storekeepers bought, and started 
in the night with it for Ballarat, no one but Tom knowmg 
of my starting. I kept a horse stabled in the rear of my 
storJ, so I could slip out the back door and leave without 
anyone knowing it, even when the store would be full of 
people, and I appeared to be the busiest. Perhaps I would 
ask them all to have a drink with me, and while they were 
enjoying their toddy, I would step outside, mount my 
horse and sHp off quietly, not keeping the road, but taking 
the bush, as the forest was called, and arrive in Ballarat 
in the morning, sell my gold, and come back the next 
night in the same manner, no one knowing of my going or 
coming. There were hard cases already there, as there 
always is m the first days of a new rush. Many times I 
was told I would be caught. One night, after having 
gone to bed, I heard a noise that woke me, and calling 
Tom we listened and found it came from the next store. 
They had a very sick child there with which they had been 
up nights for a week or more, and we concluded the dis- 
turbance was attributable to this circumstance. Mr. Mur- 
phy, my neighbor, asked me in the morning if I heard any 
noise in the night. We told him we did, and supposed 
that his child was worse, or possibly had died. "No," 



306 murphy's store robbery. 

said he, "last night was the first sleep any of us had for a 
week." He asked me in, and only to find his store com- 
pletely cleared of goods. I told him to say nothing and 
we would have the thieves. I told some of the diggers 
what had happened. They knew of a party of thieves 
camped on the side of a hill only a few hundred yards 
away, and our suspicions rested on them at once. About 
twelve of us surrounded their tent. Mr. Bidwell went in 
— there were three men and one woman — he told them 
what we were after, and found nearly all the things in 
their tent and dray. We tied the rnen to a tree opposite 
my store, and sent thirteen miles to Smithdale for the 
police. I got all manner of abuse from the tongues of 
the men and the woman — certainly she was the w^orst of 
the three, on account of the wonderful flippancy of her 
tongue and admirable command of the most emphatic 
and expressive terms in the classic language of Billings- 
gate. She said they would be on the lookout for me and 
would have my gold or my life, and that I might be sure 
of if they got a chance. So she rattled on as women of 
her kind do — their tongues once started are sure to let out 
all their mind knows or thinks. The police came, loaded 
the goods in part into the thieves' own dray, which had 
borne them from the store, and part into Murphy's store, 
and started, the prisoners calling down left-handed 
blessings on my head. They were all taken to Ballarat, 
where they had a hearing, and two of the men were bound 
over, and one man and the woman were released, and 
Murphy started for home with his own horse and dray. 
That same night I left Happy Valley, for that was the 



MURPHY KILLED. 307 

name of our new diggings, to go to Ballarat. It was 
fearfullj'dark and my progress was slow, and I reached the 
road leading from Smithdale to Ballarat just at day- 
break. Upon striking the road I put my horse into a 
canter, but had not gone far when he stopped short, 
snorted, and suddenly wheeled around. Of course I knew 
something was up, but could see nothing. I turned him 
and started back, but when he arrived at the same place 
he wheeled as before. I saw nothing but a dark spot in 
the road, and I thought it was this he was afraid of. I 
got off and examined it, and it seemed to be nothing 
strange; still my horse was afraid and kept up his snort- 
ing. I put my finger on the wet spot and it felt sticky. 
Just then I heard a horse shake himself in his harness, 
about forty yards away, and neigh; my horse answered 
him. I went down to him and found it was Murphy's. 
I looked in the dray and called ; I got no answer. I went 
around, and there lay poor Murphy stiff and cold. I got 
onto my horse and rode at once to the police camp, about a 
mile and a half away, back to Smithdale, and reported to 
the police; left my gold at their camp and rode back to 
Happy Valley and broke the news to his poor wife. The 
man and woman were arrested in Smithdale, where they 
had arrived the night before about nine o'clock. They 
had started out of Ballarat before Murphy, waited forhim, 
and shot him through the head. The man was tried and 
hung; the woman got ten years penal servitude. That 
was the last I ever heard of the Murphy family— they im- 
mediately leaving Happy Valley— for nearly twenty years, 
when one day I met two young ladies, one of whom knew 



308 THE BLACK GUIDE. 

me. She proved to be the eldest daughter of the Murphy's. 
She insisted on my going home with her mother, whom, 
she said, often spoke of me. 

Happy Valley did not last long, which is the case with all 
shallow diggings, but there was another valley discovered 
about four miles from there, called Linton's. Wemoved up 
there and did very well for a while, but I did not like the 
idea of following up these rushings. Linton's lasted six 
weeks and then another gully opened up three miles away 
from that. So I sold out and was fortunate in doing so. 

I neglected to mention that as soon as Walter got things 
arranged, he came down to Linton's. There were at that 
time a large number of Wadagalac blacks there, the tribe 
numbering some two hundred; now they are totally ex- 
tinct—the ultimate fate of the savage when civilized man 
enters his domain. There was one black fellow of this 
tribe who told me he knew where there was plenty of gold, 
about sixty miles away, and offered to take me or Walter 
there. We made arrangements to go with him and take 
one other person also, but the night before they purposed 
to start, another tribe of blacks came down on them, a 
great fight ensued, and our black pioneer friend received a 
blow on the head that would have crushed a white man's 
skull like an egg-shell. Itcamenear kiUing him. The blacks 
sent for me ; I found him to all appearance dead, but on 
examination discovered that he still breathed. A dozen 
ormore women were around him, all howling. One related 
to him seemed to take the lead in this strange style of 
mourning, and I began to feel sorry for her, as it seemed as 
though her heart would break and she would lose her rea- 



A THICK SKULL. 309 

son. All at once she stopped, and asked me to give her a 
pipe of "bakka." "Yes," said I, "if you will stop that 
infernal howhng." Upon this they all proposed to cease 
on the same terms. I gave them the tobacco, and they 
all knocked off and lit their pipes, and that was the last 
of thehowHng. So I saw that grief, sentiment or affection 
had nothing to do with it, only funeral style, inherited 
from their remotest ancestors. Their distress was all 
"put on.'' The man had a terrible cut on the head, the 
gash being nearly three inches long and laying open the 
skull. I had often heard of the thickness of the skull of 
the blacks, but had never before seen one laid open, nor 
did I ever believe that it was half so thick as this man's. 
I had brought some court-plaster and some castile soap 
and a pair of scissors. It was necessary to cut aw^aysome 
locks of hair. 

The hair of these natives is as thick as a mat, is never 
combed, and is as coarse as a horse's tail, and as soon as 
I commenced to cut it the woman set up a louder and still 
more disagreeable howl. I stopped them, but found they 
did not want me to cut his hair. I explained the necessitv 
thereof to save his life, and then they quieted down and 
appeared satisfied, but watched me and picked up every 
hair that was dropped. I plastered him up and left him, 
and came that night to see my patient and found he had 
become conscious, but did not believe he would recover. 
One can judge of my surprise when, only four days after, 
he came down to my store and said he was ready to goon 
the prospecting trip. They started the following day and 
were gone about two weeks. They got gold, but the boys 



310 A TOUGH GANG. 

said it was the last place ever made and they would not 
stop there if they could make a pound weight of gold a 
day. The same place, but a short time after, turned out 
to be a good gold district and a great quartz region, 
known as the Ararat diggings. A few days before leaving 
Linton's. Tom was away and I was alone, the d*iggers all 
being up at the new rush. The other store on the gully was 
kept by a Mr; Smith from Philadelphia, and to distinguish 
him from the numerous other Smiths in that country as in 
all others, he was first called Philadelphia Smith, but this 
being a little too long to pronounce on a hot day, he was 
finally abbreviated to "Phil," and was scarcely known by 
any other name. Phil and myself were the only ones 
there, and about 2 p. m. I saw a party of five coming 
up the gully. I knew they were a tough lot and called to 
Phil to keep a sharp lookout, and if they came to his place 
and he wanted help, to sing out, and I would do the same 
if they came to mine. He said all right. Soon they came 
up straight to me and ordered drink. I was sitting on 
a keg with an axe handle in my hand, and told them I had 
none to sell ; they said they knew better and if I did not 
bring it out they would take it. I knew what they 
wanted was to get my eye off from them, and then they 
would hit me with a slung-shot and lay me out. I said, 
"You will take this first," at the same time hitting the 
foremost one a blow that completely knocked him out 
through the door, and sprang forward at the second, but 
he was too quick for me and got out of my reach. I then 
pulled my pistol and told them that the first one that 
attempted to come one step towards me I would put a 



RETURN TO BALLARAT. 311 

hole through him. B}^ this time Phil was on the grounds. 
The whole thing was only a matter of a few seconds. We 
ordered them off, and they went without regard to the 
order of their going, but went at once. They had come 
with the intention of sticking us up and would have done 
so had I not so suddenly commenced the fight. 

After disposing of everything at Linton's I concluded 
to go back to Ballarat, look around and start another 
place in more permanent diggings. Walter had gone back 
already, so Tom and I started on foot with eighty ounces 
of gold and over one hundred pounds sterling, reaching 
Ballarat at dark. I carried a long bowie-knife in the leg 
of my high boots, just out of sight, but handy in case I 
should want to. pick my tooth suddenly. I was told that 
Jim Hull was in town stopping at the Montezuma hotel, 
and wished to see me. My knife hurt my foot, so I laid 
it away and also my pistol at Nichol's store, remarking 
that I would have no use for these tools to-night. I 
usually deposited my gold when I came in, but for some 
reason I did not this time, and I had it in a belt around 
me, while my money was loose in my pocket. I started 
down to the hotel, a distance of not more than two hun- 
dred yards from Nichols' store, Tom going with me. We 
saw Hull and started back ; the night was very dark and 
a drizzling rain was falling ; the road was sloppy with a 
thin paving of about two inches of mud. We took the 
centre of the road, and not until now did it occur to my 
mind that I had forgotten to leave my money behind, and 
now I had no weapons in case of an attack. We had not 
gone more than sixty yards from the hotel when I dis- 



312 ATTACKED BY ROBBERS. 

covered three men standing in the road just in front of us. 
We shied off intending to give them a wide berth. Just 
as we passed them, I cast my eye over my shoulder and 
got a gHmpse of one in the act of striking at me with a 
slung-shot. As quick as thought I wheeled around and 
struck him with my fist with all the force I had, which 
was more considerable in those days than now. He was 
not looking for it and he fell like a bullock. The second 
one and I clinched, and I threw him as quick as though 
he had come in contact with a locomotive. The third 
man tackled Tom, but he kept him off with his knife, and 
retreated backwards towards the hotel. When they had 
got about half the distance, he left Tom and came back 
to his pals and me. I had the two, one top of the other, 
and was not conscious of the third coming back, being 
too busily engaged even to cry for help. He struck me 
with a slung-shot on the back of my neck, which laid me 
at full length. It did not stun me as he supposed it had, 
or he would have given me another blow, but rather 
stupefied me. I realized that he was stamping on me, but 
it did not seem to hurt me. At last he bent over me and 
began tearing my clothes open, when all of a sudden the 
thought flashed across m}'^ mind, what am I lying here for? 
I caught him b}' the necktie and seized him by the throat 
with the grasp of a vice. It took him by surprise. I 
sprang to my feet, seized his hand that held the slung-shot, 
and in less than a second he lay on his back. 

Tom in the meantime got to the hotel, gave the alarm, 
and all started for the scene of action. The two with 
whom I had first contended heard them coming and quit 



THE SLUNG-SHOT. 313 

the field. The boys found me on top of the third man, 
stamping Hke a mad man and plastered all over with mud. 
They did not know me in the darkness, and simply seeing 
me on top took me for the robber. Being myself wild and 
crazy with excitement, I thought they were confederates 
come to assist them against me, and I struggled with my 
friends and told them I w^ould clean them all out. The blow 
I had received had maddened me. Just then Tom came 
up and said, "Why, it is Charlie." In the struggle with 
me the three got away. The boys that came from the 
hotel to rescue me were much humiliated to think they did 
not recognize me even in the darkness. An Irishman in the 
crowd, called New York Jack, said : "Sure we should have 
known that Charlie was bound to be on top." 

Walter w^as in Melbourne, but arrived by coach the next 
day. When told that I had been "stuck-up," he asked if 
they had killed me. "No," said the one telling the news. 
"Then," said he, "they did not get his gold." The blow I 
received on the back of my neck gathered and discharged, 
and I was laid up some three weeks. A blow^ from aslung- 
shot is very dangerous. I would rather take my chances 
from a pistol wound. Twicelhad experience of the effect of 
that murderous instrument. For the benefit of those who 
might not know, I will endeavor to describe the weapon. 
First a lump of lead of the size of an egg, round and 
smooth, enclosed in a mitten woven out of coarse hard 
twine, about nine inches long— more, perhaps, like an old- 
fashioned money purse than like a mitten— and is fastened 
around the wrist by a strap with a buckle, so that in case 
of arrest, or prospect thereof, they may detach it and not 



314 THE BANK ROBBERY. 

be caught with it on their person, which would be worse 
for them than having a pistol. 

In further illustration of criminal manners and customs 
in the mining colonies in primitive days, I venture to refer 
to the robbery of the Ballarat bank in 1855. The Bank 
of Australia had opened a branch at Ballarat, on what 
was then one of its back streets. It was a small, wooden 
building. One day about 2 p. m. three men entered, wearing 
masks, and presented revolvers at the heads of the two 
persons in charge, and told them if they stirred or made 
the least noise they would blow out their brains. The 
two kept their pistols at their heads while the third tied 
and gagged them, and in that position they were found an 
hour later. They then completely sacked the bank and 
took to the bush, which was near by, and that was all 
that was ever known of them. The whole affair was 
wrapt in mystery — the detectives could get no clew of it. 
It was a seven days' wonder, and then alluded to no more. 
There had been a firm there. Garret, Mariet & Ouinn, who 
had been keeping a grocery store, but sold out a few da^^s 
before the robbery. Mariet was boarding at the Arcade 
hotel at the time, Garret was stopping elsewhere, and 
Quinn lived with a women in a tent, none of them having 
any transactions with the others, and it was generally 
supposed that they were not on cordial terms. Mariet 
was a man of few words, and would sit for hours watch- 
ing a game of ten-pins. Sometimes he would roll just one 
ball on a bed for the drinks. On the afternoon of the rob- 
bery he was out, as was his usual custom at that time of 
day, directly after dinner, and not returning until past 



ROBBERS DISCOVERED. 315 

five. When he returned he was asked concerning the rob- 
bery. He had heard of it, and joined freely, for him, in 
discussing the probabilities of the robbers being captured. 
He thought they surely would be. After the subject had 
passed out of mind he signified his purpose to go to En- 
gland by the Great Britain, soon to sail from Melbourne; 
bought his ticket on the coach, paid his hotel bill, and gave 
out that he was going to start the next morning, and in- 
vited his friends to a farewell drink. All were sorry to 
have him go, as he had become a general favorite with the 
boarders. 

Garret had in the meantime disappeared, and Quinn and 
the woman had gone to Geelong, where she was cutting a 
rather wide swath and spending money right and left. It 
seems that some of the notes taken from the bank were 
known by the numbers of a certain issue, which fact had 
not been given out by the bank officers, but only so many 
ounces of gold-dust and such an amount in notes. It was 
not long before some of these notes found their way to. 
the bank for deposit. Enquiries were made where they 
were obtained, and they were immediately traced to Mrs. 
Quinn. She peached on the whole late firm of Ballarat 
grocers. Quinn turned Queen's evidence against Garret 
and Mariet. The latter was then aboard the Great Britain, 
under sail for England, but had not passed the Heads. 
She was stopped at Queen's Cliff, and he was taken off", 
convicted, and got seven years penal servitude. Garret 
had left the colony already and sailed for England. Word 
was sent by the Great Britain, but he had arrived there in 
advance of that steamer, disappeared, and for a long time 



316 GARRET DISCOVERED, 

no trace of him could be obtained, though the London de 
tectives did their best to get him. The colony, however, 
was determined to have him, and sent a detective from 
Melbourne to London. This detective was personally ac 
quainted with Garret, having known him during his term 
of penal servitude in Van Diemen's Land, before he became 
a member of the honorable firm of grocers in Ballarat, and 
thoroughly understood the "old hand" style. After be- 
ing in London for several months, and was on the point 
of giving up the search in despair, he was one day passing 
a skittle alley, and it occurred to him it was just the place 
to find his man. He walked in, dressed in the flash sport- 
ing st\de of a Van Diemen's Land "old hand," that is, 
cabbage tree hat, with a wide black ribbon streaming 
down the sides about three inches. He was very fluent in 
his old hand slang talk, walked in and at once challenged 
anyone on the ground to throw him "three skittles for a 
fine bob " — that is the slang term for five shillings — at the 
same time thro wing his five shillings on the ground, asking 
if there was any "cove in the ground game to cover it? " 
He at once discovered his man and knew him, but Garret 
did not recognize him, but took him for a pigeon to pluck, 
accepted his challenge and, of course, won; played on, be- 
came social, intimate, and finally discovered in each other 
old Van Diemen's Land acquaintances. Garret in his 
seclusion was glad to meet an old pal from the "Holy 
Land," as the old convicts termed Hobartstown, and in- 
vited the detective to the hospitalities of a near ale-house, 
which he, of course, accepted. The detective always had 
two constables with him, or shadowing him, and they 



GARRET CONVICTED. 317 

were near now. As they left the skittle alley the detective 
saw his shadows and gave the signal without Garret dis- 
covering him. They entered the public house to have a 
"bull" — slang term for a drink. While standing at the 
bar in the act of drinking, the shadowers came up behind 
and grabbed Garret, each by an arm. He was a powerful 
man and struggled manfully for his liberty, for he instantly 
knew he was discovered and betrayed, and it took the 
united efforts of the three to handcuff him. He was 
brought back and received seven years, served it out and 
went to New Zealand, was arrested and sent back, as they 
won't have Australian convicts over there; got into dif- 
ficulty again, and spent a good deal of time in penal servi- 
tude. I never knew what became of Mariet, for whom 
there was considerable sympathy, as being led into the 
crime by Garret. Quinn was an old convict. It was a 
clever robbery and well carried out, and had it not been 
for the extravagant and dashing Madam Quinn, it prob- 
ably would not have been exposed to this day. 



318 LAID UP. 



CHAPTER XXII. 

Alma Diggings— Ovens Creek— Newspapers— Wealth and Extrava- 
gance — "A Hatter" — First Engine on the Woolshed — Court 
OF Mines — Devil's Elbow — Hard Work — Great Results — Nine-^ 
pins— Fourth of July — News of the Rebellion in United States- 
—Sadness and Silence— Friendships Among Strangers— George 
Francis Train— American Ball — My Partner— Mrs. Mason— The. 
Star of the Evening— The Milliner's Bill. 

I WAS laid up in bed for three weeks after my encountei 
with the robbers. My neck gathered and broke; 1 
could not move my self for the bruises I got by their stamp- 
ing upon me, and it was fully a month before I could be 
out. Walter had gone to the Alma digging and wrote for 
Tom and myself to come on as soon as I was able. Tom 
had stayed behind to take care of me, and I went sooner 
than I ought to have done. Before leaving Ballarat I 
settled up and paid all we owed, and we had something to 
start on anew. No sooner had we arrived at Alma than I 
was taken down again and came very near dying. I lay 
in the Golden Age hotel for three weeks, but thanks to a 
good constitution and Dr. Candiartis, I got all right and 
was ready for the Firey creek rush that had just then broke 
out. 
Walter and Tom had gone before and had a good claim, 



FROM ALMA TO OVENS. 319 

although a small one, so it did not take us long to work 
it. The Woolshed creek had proved to be richer than 
either of the two before named. I have alread\Mnentioned 
that Spring, Reed's and the Woolshed were all one and 
the same creek on the Ovens. Domestic, Reed's and Spring 
were worked first, but the ground was so wet and sinking 
so deep that they could not be worked on the same claim 
principle. It was remedied as soon as the Court of Mines 
law came in force, and it was now proving itself to be one 
of the richest in the colonies, and here I was bound to so 
if I could get the other boys enlisted. We had w-ashed up 
and our dirt had turned out one hundred and four ounces 
of gold. I bought a horse, told the boys I was going back 
to the Ovens, and asked if they were going with me. They 
said yes, and we were to go by waj- of Ballarat. I knew, 
however, if I went back there Nichols would try to per- 
suade me out of the notion, so I proposed to Walter to go 
to Ballarat, while Tom and I would go across to Castle- 
main and w^ait there a day for him. It was as I expected. 
Nichols wanted us to stop and persuaded Walter to do 
so, thinking I would come also; but as he did not come 
to Castlemain, Tom and I started on without him. It was 
a long walk of two hundred and sixty miles, the horse 
carrying our blankets and tools and what provisions we 
required on the road. Our route lay in the line of Goul- 
bourne river, and wdiere we struck the old Sidney road 
which I had traveled no less than four times before. 

The weather was hot and dry — thermometer registering 
not less than 100° every day. Such traveling can be ap- 
preciated only by those who have experienced it. When 



320 BUSH-RANGERS AGAIN. 

we arrived at Beneta we found the town in great excite- 
ment — police all out after the bush-rangers who had at- 
tempted to rob an American named Curbey, from Penn- 
sylvania, on his way to Melbourne with one hundred and 
fifty ounces of gold. He was within three miles of Beneta 
when three horsemen came upon him, presented their pis- 
tols and commanded him to deliver. Curbey was a one- 
handed man, and for that reason they were doubtless a 
little more careless than they would have been. He pulled 
up and quickly wound his bridle rein around his arm and 
commenced to fumble as if to unstrap his valise. He was 
mounted on a splendid spirited horse. Suddenly he 
touched his spur to his horse's flanks, which made one 
bound and cleared the robbers. They all fired but missed 
him. Then came an exciting race. Curbey had a pistol 
which he turned on his horse and fired under full speed, 
but though a good shot, he could not take deliberate aim. 
They ran him within less than a mile of the police station, 
when Curbey, turning again in his saddle, fired and hit the 
foremost of the three, when they gave up the chase and he 
rode to the station and reported. The police pursued, 
found traces of blood of the wounded robber, but they got 
away and were never caught for that offense. 

Upon arriving at Beechworth I found a great change 
since I was first there, four years before, and now three 
years since I had seen it a field of tents; now there were 
large brick buildings, five large hotels, stores too numer- 
ous to mention, and two printing offices— the Ovens 
Advertiser and The New Constitution— although, the new 
constitution had not yet become law, but did shortly 



CHANGES— THE " HATTER." 321 

after. Scott had built a large bakery ; in fact, it was the 
most lively and progressive little town in all Victoria. 
The Woolshed was some seven miles down the creek, and 
we made for that town to see the money spent. I have 
visited many camps and mining towns in Australia and 
California, but never saw a place where money was spent 
so freely — actually thrown away — as it was on the Wool- 
shed diggings in the days when the Cameron's, Jonston's, 
Williams' and the Yankee boys, Strickland and Chambers' 
claims were in full running order. There were man}' more 
I could name, but it is useless. The creek, for over four 
miles, was working in full blast. 

When I was on Reed's creek before, there was a man at 
the lower end, a "hatter," as he was called by the diggers, 
that is, one that works alone, a Scotchman, who always 
lived and worked alone. He amused himself at night 
playing a fiddle. No one knew how much or little he was 
making, or cared, for that matter. He was a pleasant 
man to speak to, but disclosed nothing but his qualities as 
a fiddler, which were quite good. Jonston, for that was 
his name, had been there some three years, when suddenly 
he took it into his head to move to the Woolshed and take 
up a claim there. All were surprised, for they knew that 
large parties had been driven out by the imder water, and 
no one ever thought of Jonston's ever hiring anyone or 
taking in a partner, and no one thought he had much 
money, if they had any thoughts at all about it, when one 
day there arrived a small engine from Melbourne, for 
Jonston on the Woolshed. It made people open their eyes. 
He had taken a small claim under the new regulations, 



322 THE "hatter's" success. 

hired men to open it, paid them the highest wages, cut a 
tail-race, sank a pump-hole and got his engineto pumping^ 
and in a short time was in full blast. However, the claim 
did not pay, though he stuck to it four months with eight 
men, paying out more money than he got gold, when one 
Saturday night he told his men that they would have to- 
quit, as his money was all spent. They talked it over 
among themselves and proposed to give him a week's 
work, hoping for better results, and were rewarded, dur- 
ing the week, by striking it very rich, so much so, that 
most of his men then left his service and took claims, and 
soon every claim on the creek was taken, and when I 
arrived all the claims were paying, and Jonston was 
working over one hundred men ; Cameron, forty ; Strick- 
land & Batey, sixty ; Chambers, forty ; and many others 
about the same. There were over three thousand men 
working on the creek at seven pounds a week (thirty- 
five dollars). When Christmas came, Jonston paid off his 
men, gave them a week's wages in advance and told them 
to report for work that day week. 

There were no less than ten or fifteen dance houses ^ 
drinks were thirty-seven cents, and everything else in pro- 
portion. There was no more vacant ground, and the only 
chance was to go to work by the day. I had not come for 
that, and I was not going to do it if I could help it. So I 
went prospecting around in the spurs, w^hich were of a 
cement formation and very hard sinking, could not make 
a hole more than six inches deep in a day, and when we 
found bottom it proved a "duffer." I was "down in the 
mouth, "as they term it when one is discouraged. But Tom 



THE devil's elbow. 323 

■was game to tackle another hole, and commenced one on 
what was called the Devil's Elbow. Just then the Court 
of Mines had decided that the creek claims had a certain 
limit as to width ; one could only hold one hundred feet on 
each side of the creek, and as in some places the flats were 
two hundred feet wide on a side, consequently there was 
room for what was called a bank claim, and I staked out 
one alongside of one known as King's claim, and bot- 
tomed a shaft in the same way we used to in Ballarat, by 
timbering and windlass. It was only about eighteen feet 
to the bottom rock. The people laughed at the idea ; but 
we were sanguine it could be done and went to the bush 
and split and dressed the slabs. It was then only to pros- 
pect the ground ; we did not think of w^orking it in that 
way. However, after working ourselves almost to death, 
we struck bottom, and the first shovelful of granite and 
gravel we got we washed out in a tin dish down to the 
black sand, and there was a good ounce of gold in it. Our 
courage was up, and we could now get plenty to join us 
and put in a pump for half the claim. We did so. It was 
divided into six shares. Tom and I held one each and one 
for Walter, So we went on, enlarged the hole and put in 
a pump, windlass and all other essentials. The process of 
enlargement was slow, and in all respects the work of 
timbering the shaft and disposing of the surplus water and 
dirt was but a repetition of what I have heretofore de- 
scribed. 

The best pay dirt was alwaj^s on the bed-rock and some- 
times it was very rich. In Cameron claim I have known 
as high as eighty pounds of gold being taken out in three 



324 A HORSE SHOD WITH GOLD. 

days. In Jonston's I have seen three pint cups washed in 
one day, clear from black sand, then the sand that was 
washed out at the same time would run twenty-four 
ounces more to the bucket. I saw a paddock sixty feet long 
by eleven feet wide, turn out one hundred pounds of gold. 
It was said that when Jonston worked the Woolshed he 
cleared eighty thousand pounds sterling (four hundred 
thousand dollars) in one year. Money was squandered by 
the Woolshed bosses, as they were called. It seemed as if 
they did not know how to spend it fast enough. I have 
seen bottles of champagne put in as ten-pins, at one pound 
a bottle, and smashed with a ball the same as pins are 
knocked. And when Cameron, the brother of the one who 
owned the claim on the Woolshed, was elected to parlia- 
ment, the diggers shod his horse with gold shoes; and 
at the races I have seen men running around with their 
hands full of five pound notes, soliciting bets, too drunk, 
most of them, to know how they bet or with whom. Such 
is the effect that sudden riches has, too often, upon those 
who never before had but little. 

Districts differed in respect to the kind or form of gold 
obtained. In Ovens district it was of ordinary fineness, 
while that on Reed's creek and Woodshed was fine as flour, 
and when washed out from the gravel it was inpregnated 
with or rather mixed with what we called black sand, 
but was really tin ore, very pure, and it was difficult to 
separate the gold from it. Besides, unless the dirt was 
very rich, it was impossible to get any gold free from the 
sand. Where it was rich, perhaps one-half, and sometimes 
more, pure gold could be obtained without going through 



FOURTH OF JULY. 325 

the process of quicksilvering it. At first it was thought 
that the sand of itself was not worth saving after the gold 
was supposed to be taken out, but afterwards it was found 
to be worth as high as ninety pounds per ton. It was very- 
heavy, weighing as much as one hundred pounds to a com- 
mon bucket. The method of separating the gold from 
the sand was with quicksilver. Many supposed the tin 
would adhere to the silver, but it was not so at the Ovens 
mines; the tin there was covered with a black coating, 
hence its name, black sand. After mixing about six 
buckets of ore dirt in a barrel, prepared for the purpose 
like a churn, with twenty pounds of quicksilver, and 
revolving or churning about twenty minutes, it is taken out 
and run through a long torn. The gold amalgamates 
with the silver, is run off in a body, the silver being strained 
through chamois leather. In this way the silver was 
gathered in a ball, which is put into a retort which re- 
leases the gold, and is then smelted in a crucible. When 
no crucible was to be had, go to a blacksmith's forge, 
clear it out, put in some wet clay of the consistency of 
paste, some charcoal and start a fire. When it is at a white 
heat put in the amalgam, and after five minutes steady 
blowing of the bellows the amalgam will disappear; then 
take out the clay and wash it and there will be the gold in 
some of the finest nuggets ever seen, of all sorts and shapes 
imaginable. Some of the claims on the Woolshed would 
obtain as high as atonof sand in a day'ssteady washing. 
Fourth of July was coming and arrangements had to 
be made for the celebration, for the Americans had always 
observed the day and the Canadians or British Americans 



326 WAR NEWS FROM HOME. 

had alwa}?s joined in the festivities of the occasion, and 
seemed to take as much interest in it as those from the 
United States. The day was celebrated every year until 
the breaking out of the rebellion or civil war, when it 
was suspended until the war was over. I should, perhaps, 
here mention that all through that struggle I never heard 
or knew of a hard or unkind word ever passing between 
a southern and northern man. That subject seemed, as it 
were, by mutual consent to be put aside. There were there 
about an equal number of northern and southern men, 
but the subject was ignored so far as conversation was 
concerned. Silence was the order and seemed to be the 
pride of each regarding the war. When the mail would 
arrive, one would, perhaps, see his southern friend appear 
the day after with crape on his sleeve — the mail had 
brought news of another great slaughter. We knew 
what it meant without asking, and no questions w^ere 
asked. One might, perhaps, hear it whispered among his 
friends that so and so had lost a brother — killed at Vicks- 
burg or Pittsburgh Landing or some other place; or, 
perhaps, one would see two talking together, mutual 
friends, both wearing the crape just put on, one from the 
north, the other from the south. Listen to them and likely 
you would hear it from one with a sigh — "God knows I 
hope there will soon be an end of it," and a solemn re- 
sponse of "Amen" from the other. They were enemies in 
sentiment, but bosom friends at heart. One does not 
know what true friendship is until he has been for years 
in a foreign land, thrown among strangers in his youth ; 
it is then he appreciates a friend. I have met with those 



FRIENDS AMONG STRANGERS. 327 

born in a foreign country that I have felt were as near to 
me as a brother. I have often heard of people dying in a 
foreign land without friends, and I have as often thought 
that it might be their own fault. One need not necessarily 
be without friends, no matter where he may be, even 
among strangers. It is generally his own actions that 
make him friends, or make him enemies, and he is likely 
to have one or the other. To a young man starting out 
in the world I would say to him that it altogether depends 
upon himself whether or not he is successful in finding 
friends. He will find them, but before he accepts them he 
should be sure they are friends of the right kind. "But 
how is one to know?" he may ask. His own common sense 
will teach him, his knowledge of right and wrong ; the 
principles that his mother taught him, as she bent over 
him in prayer, as she put him, to bed, will stand him in 
hand then. For thirty-four years I have been among 
strangers and never once set my eyes on anyone near me 
by the ties of blood relationship, yet I was never without 
a friend. If I had been, I think it would have been my 
own fault. My young friends should bear in mind when 
they start out in life for new fields of enterprise or a new 
home, that if they have plenty of friends in the place they 
are leaving, they will be sure to find plenty' wherever they 
go. The story of the man who "moved his wagon west, " 
illustrates the idea. "He never would have left if it had 
not been for his neighbors; there never were such bad 
neighbors as he had left ; there was no living with them ; 
and so he had come west to settle among better ones." 
An old man who heard him, said, "I am sorry for you; 



328 TRAIN SPEAKS. 

young man, foryou will find here just such neighbors as you 
left; you haven't bettered yourself a bit." The next week 
another came from the same place, and his only regret in 
leaving was, that he had left such a friendly lot of neigh- 
bors. "You need have no regrets, "said the same old man 
whohad addressed the other immigrant, "you will find just 
as good neighbors here." If one makes a boot-jack he 
makes it because he wants one, and it is just as well to 
make a good one as a bad one, and the same rule holds 
good in respect to making friends. 

But I have wandered from my story of celebrating the 
Fourth of July in Australia. It was on the occasion of a 
public dinner that day that I met and heard the noted 
George Francis Train. He was then connected with the 
American firm of Caldwell, Train & Co. The toast he re- 
sponded to was "Young America," and never before or 
since did I listen to a more eloquent speech. He was then 
looked upon as one of the most promising men of Mel- 
bourne. He did not remain long, however, for Melbourne 
was not then big enough for him and he left for larger 
fields. Our American population on the Woolshed com- 
prised about thirty. We had been divided in opinion as to 
whether the occasion should be celebrated by a dinner or 
a ball, but a compromise was effected in an agreement to 
have both. I was in favor of the dinner onl}^ for the rea- 
son that I did not know where I could get a partner for 
the ball. The time was fast approaching and still no pros- 
pect of my getting a partner, and I had nearly abandoned 
further efforts in that direction and thought to content 
m^^self by going without one, when a circumstance oc- 



SEEKING A PARTNER. 329 

curred that inspired me to renewed exertions for a partner. 
There had been a theatrical company there some three 
weeks before, but had broken up and scattered. Among 
these were a Mr. and Mrs. Mason. This lady had taken 
leading parts and was considered the star. After disband- 
ing, Mason got a job in a billiard room as a marker — 
rather a sudden drop from King Lear and Hamlet, Prince 
of Denmark, down to a common billiard marker. At a 
private party one evening, to which I was fortunate 
enough to get an invitation, I met and was introduced to 
Mrs. Mason, and of course the forthcoming ball was an 
important topic of conversation, and I ventured to hope 
that we would have the honor of Mr. and Mrs. Mason's 
presence. She was very sorry to say she thought they 
would not attend. She would like very much to attend, but 
it was so very expensive that Mr. Mason did not feel able 
to afford it, though she wanted to go ever so much, and 
this she repeated over and over. What could I do? There 
she was, poor little creature, wanting to go to a ball and 
no one to take her. Was 1 a man without a spark of 
feeling or a drop of the milk of human kindness ? No. I had 
been always taught to extend the hand of relief to a fellow- 
sufferer when m need. Then why shrink from my duty 
now, when one stood before me, and that one of the weaker 
sex, and her heart yearning to attend the ball ? I could be 
the instrument of her accomplishing her heart-felt wish. 
My mind was made up. I would be generous, gallant. 
But how to proceed without wounding her sensibilities 
was my difficulty. Something must be done, and that at 
once. So I intimated in the most delicate terms my un- 



330 SECURES AN ACTRESS. 

tutored mind could command that if it was agreeable to 
Mr. Mason and herself I should be happy to be the escort 
of Mrs. Mason on that delightful occasion. She smiled, 
and 0, such a pleasing smile. She would speak to Mr. 
Mason upon the subject, and again assured me how 
pleased she should be to attend. She did so hope that Mr. 
Mason would give his consent. We parted, I thinking her 
one of the most agreeable persons I had ever met. What 
she thought I was not so sure of, but have since thought 
that possibly she took me for one of the most gigantic 
flats she ever met. The next morning Mr. Mason appeared 
on the scene. I thought of pistols and coffee for two But 
no, that could not be, for he was very gracious and all 
smiles. Wished to speak privately with me. Called me 
aside and told me his wife had informed him that I had 
very kindly offered to escort her to the ball ; that he con- 
sidered it very kind in me ; that he never attended himself, 
but his wife was very fond of dancing; that he was the 
very last man to debar her of a pleasure she so much doted 
on ; but he was very particular whom she went with, and 
that he deemed it fortunate that the only man he would 
have given his consent for her to go with had invited her. 
I felt flattered by his elegant remarks, and we adjourned 
to the counter to refresh the inner man. 

It occurred to me that, although Mrs. Mason was an 
■actress and undoubtedly had an abundance of dresses 
suitable for the momentous occasion, still there might be 
a few little necessaries, such as a few yards of ribbon, 
gloves, and so forth, she might need. So I hinted to her 
in as delicate a manner as I could that such might be the 



HOW SHE DID shine! 331 

case, hoping at the same time she would take no offense at 
the suggestion. "0, dear, no; no offense whatever." She 
did need a few things. I told her any time convenient to 
her, she could walk round to Miss Reed's, the milliner, and 
get them. She expressed her willingness to go at once, 
and we started. Now I had had a little experience in 
milliners' shops for Christmas presents to the girls that 
waited on the table at the hotel, and it had generally cost 
a pound for each of them. So on this occasion I was 
doubly cautious, and on arriving at the shop, just put my 
head in at the door, bade Miss Reed good-morning, and told 
her please to let Mrs. Mason have what little necessaries 
she required and I would settle it. "0, certainly " Now . 
I thought I had got the start to limit the expenditure, and 
also of some others whom I knew would likely be subjected 
to an expense of from ten to twenty pounds millinery bill. 
The dinner came off with great eclat — one hundred and 
forty guests at the table, thirty-one of whom were Amer- 
icans. Other European countries besides England were 
represented. So our glorious day was looked up to with 
respect in the farthest corner of the globe. I congratulated 
myself on my good fortune in securing an accomplished 
society lady and an actress for a partner, one whose robes 
were the most elaborate and costly, who, in fact, had no 
rival there for magnificence of apparel and splendor of 
toilet; and I secretly vowed I would always secure an 
actress for a partner if there was one to be had upon such 
an occasion — and there always is upon the same terms I 
got mine. "When the ball opened, O how she did shine — 
the observed of all observers. The star-spangled banner 



332 PAYS THE LITTLE BILL. 333 

on the wall, emblem of mj beloved country, paled and 
grew dim in contrast with the sweeping train of my part- 
ner. I was congratulated then and there by the repre- 
sentatives of Europe and America. A day or two after 
the ball, in passing down the street, I thought I would call 
and pay Miss Reed. She was all smiles when I said I 
had called to pay that little bill. I had a five pound note 
in my pocket. She presented the bill, and judge of my sur- 
prise to find it twenty-seven pounds and fourteen shil- 
lings, one hundred and thirty-eight dollars, and I only 
twenty-five dollars to pay it with. "Very well," said I, 
after looking for some time to ascertain if my eyes were in 
an eclipse or had suddenly taken a freak to magnify about 
a hundred diameters, "I am just going down street and 
will call when I come back and settle it." I went down, 
met Tom, and told him to give me some mone\'. He 
opened his eyes as wide as I did when I saw Miss Reed's 
bill. I told him I had met some old friends from Ballarat 
who were out of money, and I ^vanted to let them have 
thirty pounds. I went back, paid the bill, and told Aliss 
Reed I would give her five pounds more if she would not 
let it get out. She laughed and promised to be silent. If 
it had got out I would have had to leaA^e the Woolshed, 
for I am sure I never could have endured the running I 
would have got from everyone who knew me. 




33S 



334 DEATH OF NICHOLS. 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

Ballarat— United States Hotel Burned— Death of Nichols— Still- 
ON THE Woolshed— Tom Departs— Gunston Again — Scarcity of 
Beef— After Cattle— Incidents of the Trip— A Woman " Stuck 
XJp "—Robbers in Jail— Squatter Stations— " Sweat Out " — " Fly- 
Blown"— "Old Hands" — A Race with Robbers — Successful 
Trip — Profits Satisfactory. 

WHEN we got our claim open, and it was paying, 
we sent for Walter. There had been a great fire 
at Ballarat soon after we left there. Nichols had built a 
large hotel, called the United States. By some mysterious 
means it took fire and burned to the ground. Eleven per- 
sons were burned in it, Nichols himself among the rest. 
He had once got out of the building, but thought he could 
save his books, and returned for them ; but in going, the 
stairs fell and let him through into the flames, and there 
perished one of the noblest specimens of God's work. 
Among the other ten lost was the then great athlete, 
Guildersleve, who had come to Ballarat only the night 
before and put up at that hotel only to perish in the 
flames. 

Walter had now been with us some months, and we had 
not only worked out the claim that Tom and I had 
opened, which had turned out as high as fifty pounds per 



STICKS TO THE DEVIL's ELBOW. 335 

share a week, but we had a claim on Milkman's Point— 
the Devil's Elbow — which opened up rich and paid so well 
that upon the whole it proved a good move when we 
came to the Woolshed. Walter had a good offer in Mel- 
bourne and wanted I should go with him, but I did not 
wish to leave the Ovens yet, as it had always turned out 
the best for me; so he went without me. A few days 
after, Tom received a letter from home that his father was 
sick and probably would not recover; he had worked all 
his days to accumulate a little fortune, and lost it through 
a scoundrel, and it had broken the old gentleman's heart, 
and he was failing fast. I hurried Tom off, and never did 
I before so much regret parting with anyone more than 
that boy — for boy he was, only eighteen. I was again 
truly alone. Taft had long since left, and the Calio gold 
rush had carried off Costler with him. 

Cattle were then very scarce around Beechworth, and 
beef was high. Gunston, whom I mentioned before, upon 
our first arrival in Bendigo, was talking me into going up 
into New South Wales, in the Sidney district. He knew 
where cattle could be bought for three pounds per head, 
and we could double our money ; so we concluded to go. 
I had a horse that I thought would not answer my pur- 
pose if we happened to be chased by the bush-rangers, 
and, therefore, I sold him at the Beechworth sale-j^ard. 
On my way back, on foot, I took a cross-lot cut to Reed's 
creek to save about three miles, or one-half the distance. 
It was getting dusk, but I would soon be down there 
and then would have a good clear road under the under- 
growth of trees alongside of the track. Upon arriving at 



336 THE WOUNDED GERMAN. 

the edge of the timber, two men jumped out in front of me. 
But they were not quick enough. I had my pistol upon 
them first. "What is the matter, mate?" said one of 
them, "did we frighten you?" "Not a bit," said I. "We 
only wanted to know the road to Beechworth," they said. 
"You know it as well as I, so pass on," still keeping my 
pistol on them, and my eye too, as I told them to pass on. 
I backed out of the path to let them pass without getting 
in reach of me. I told them the second time to move on ; 
they did so, for they saw I had "the drop" on them. As 

they passed, one of them said I need not be so d d 

smart ; I might get taken down a peg yet ; they went on, 
however. It was getting quite dark and I started at a 
quick pace, when presently I heard someone following. I 
thought it the same party. I could hear footsteps as if in 
a half run. Once I heard one say, "How like h — 1 he 
walks." When I came to a thicket I thought to give them 
the slip, and stepped in and let them pass. They did so 
without seeing me and I felt relieved. In an instant, as it 
were, I heard the report of a pistol, and a man ran past 
me with his arms up, singing out at the top of his voice 
^'Murder." I called for him to stop, but the more I called 
the harder he ran, and I after him, for I had forgotten the 
party I had recently encountered with so much alarm — 
for there is no use denying it, I was afraid of them. The 
man ran until he fell. W^hen I came up he begged me to 
spare his life — not to kill him. He proved to be a German 
who knew me. He had kept a restaurant on theWoolshed 
and was going home, and I had almost overtaken him 
when I stepped aside and let the bush-rangers go by — for 



A CATTLE SCHEME. 337 

that was what thej were. Upon passing me they over- 
took the German and shot him. He was so frightened he 
did not know what he was doing or which way he was 
running. They must have found out their mistake as 
soon as they shot him, they expecting me to come to the 
German's rescue. The wound, however, was of but little 
consequence, as the ball had only just taken a little flesh 
and skin off from his ribs, and it smarted. He thought 
sure he was killed at first, but as he lived, he always said 
I saved his life, when, in fact, I had nearly frightened it 
out of him by running after him, he thinking me one of 
the bush-rangers. I did not go to the Woolshed that 
night. The bush-rangers went over to the junction of the 
Yacandada and Woolshed and "stuck up " a woman who 
was keeping a way-side inn, taking from her thirtv-five 
pounds (one hundred and seventy-five dollars) and some 
jewelry. The alarm was given and the police were sent out, 
pursued and captured them about half a mile from the 
junction, and brought them into Beech worth before morn- 
ing. I saw them in jail. They said I was the one they 
wanted, but I got the drop on them first, and they did not 
like to shoot so near the town for fear of shocking the 
nerves of the police. 

Gunston and I started for Albury, on the border of New 
South Wales, on the Murray river, about thirty miles from 
Beechworth. Here we purchased two of the best horses 
we could find for sale. At that early day there were no 
banks out of Sidney and Melbourne, and if one was going 
into the country to buy horses or cattle, he was obliged 
to take his money with him — a very dangerous necessity, 



338 squatter's checks. 

on account of the bush-whackers, as the robbers were here 
called . 

There were some persons well known and had large 
estates and great financial standing, who could' of course 
receive deposits and give their checks on the banks of Sid- 
ney or Melbourne. I have seen checks in the interior of 
New South Wales twelve months after their date, that had 
not yet reached the bank, although they had passed 
through a dozen hands. One "squatter," as these station- 
holders are called, told me that he calculated on from fif- 
teen to twenty per cent, of his checks never reaching the 
bank. They pay off their station hands and sheep- 
shearers in checks, which find their way directly to the 
public house. Sometimes they are put into the landlord's 
hands for safe keeping, for the chances are that some of his 
own pals, as his friends are called, will steal it from him 
before morning, but more frequently the}' set to work 
drinking it up, never ceasing day nor night, until the land- 
lord tells him he must be off, that his check is all "sweat 
out," and that he must hunt another job of sheep-shearing. 
The landlord, however, is humane and generous, turning 
him away not empty, but fits him out with a bottle of 
w^hat is called "all sorts" — that is, what has been 
left in the glasses after drinking — it may be whiskey, rum 
or oil. It all goes into one tub, and when one of the party 
has become "fly-blown," that is, his money all gone, he 
is fitted out with this concoction and sent on his way to 
seek another job of shearing or shepherding. 

The people here spoken of were of those termed "old 
hands" — government convicts, on ticket of leave. I re- 



A LIFE SAVED. 339 

member once meeting one of these estimable gentlemen. In 
traveling I lost my direction, and knowing a man a little 
distance off the road, went across to inquire of him. I 
saw he had been on a hard blow, as it is termed. He gave 
me the directions and I rode on. After riding about three 
hundred yards I heard someone calling me, and looking 
around saw it was my friend whom I had just left. I 
waited until he came up. He said he was thinking that as 
the road was so long and difficult for a stranger to find, 
that if I would save a life he would go and show me the 
road. "Save a life!" said I, "what do you mean?" He 
said he had been on a blow, and had sweat out his check — 
he had no money— that the publican had started him out 
the day before with a bottle of all sorts, and that was all 
gone, and he was nearly dead for a drink. If I would give 
him one when I came back he would go with me and show 
me the road, and would travel all the way back with me, 
a distance of some seven miles, for one drink. Yes, I told 
him if he would come back I would fill his skin full, and he 
did so. When I got back I told the landlord to let him 
have what he could drink without getting drunk. The 
next morning before starting, I saw my friend of the 
previous day. He was waiting to see if I would stand a 
"bull" (a drink) before starting on his backward journey. 
He was very thankful. Said I was one of the right sort 
of "coves," would never see a cove's light go out for want 
of oil. I told the landlord to give him a bottle, and he 
went on his way rejoicing. 

We had to carry our money with us as we expected to 
travel about three hundred and fifty miles before we would 



340 TRAVELING BY MOONLIGHT. 

get to where we could get cattle cheap enough to pay us 
for bringing them down to Beechworth at a profit. The 
country was full of bush-rangers, and there was not a 
week but someone w^as stuck-up, so it was necessary for 
us to be well mounted, that in case of meeting any of those 
gentlemen we could give them leg-bail, if possible. At 
that time the roads w^ere also lined with people going to 
the diggings, camping along the road. At every creek w^e 
were sure to meet parties with drays camped, who would 
stop one and make all sorts of inquiries as to the roads, 
how far to the next creek, the news on the diggings, if there 
was any new rush, what diggings w^e would advise them 
to make for — in fact, every question one could think of, sen- 
sible, simple, foolish and laughable. The next party would 
be just the same, but none of these were troubled by the 
rangers — they were going the wrong way to have any 
money and not worth bothering with. I had never been 
over the country before, but Gunstonhad, and had brought 
cattle down to Bendigo and had done well with them. He 
professed to know^ all the ropes, as he expressed it, partic- 
ularly about the rangers ; that we would stand in no fear 
of them after w^e left the Sidney road. 

We left Albara and traveled forty miles the first day, to 
Ten Mile creek ; the next day thirty miles, and to within 
seventeen miles of Gandaga. The day had been hot and we 
rested till evening. There was a good moon, and Bob said 
the road was plain, and that we could reach that town by 
nine o'clock. For the first four miles it was up hill. When 
we got to the top of the range I noticed a light just off the 
road-side near a scrub, which I took for a camp of parties 



PURSUED BY ROBBERS. ♦ 341 

going to the diggings. As we passed they sung out 
to us to hold on. I stopped, but no sooner had I done so 
than Bob sung out, "Get, get!" and put spurs to his 
horse. I was not long in following suit. They mounted 
their horses and followed us at full speed, singing out to 
us to hold up, but we were not inclined to comply with 
their gentle request. Bob was cool, as he always was, and 
told me we had a long chase before us, but not to hurry 
my horse at first, only to keep out of the reach of their 
shots, for they would shoot to frighten us into stopping. 
We had not gone more than a mile when we came to where 
the water had worn a big gutter in the road, and I got on 
the wrong side of it, and the further I went the deeper it 
got. Bob sung out for me to jump it and he would follow. 
I was afraid to try, as I knew if I failed the bush-rangers 
w^ere sure to have me. They saw my situation and sung 
out, as I suppose, to confuse me. But one more encour- 
aging w^ord from Bob decided me. The gutter was fully 
seven feet wide and as deep. I put both spurs to my horse 
and sung out to him at the same time, and over he took 
me with a magnificent bound. Two of the robbers fol- 
lowed me; the other three (for there were five of them) 
cleared it after me. The three discharged • their pistols, 
whether to kill or only to frighten I don't know, but the bul- 
lets whistled too close to be pleasant, disturbing the air in 
close proximity to my head. I had got alongside of Bob 
again and meant to stick to him. His motto was to keep 
cool; that we were the best mounted, and if we did not 
exhaust our horses we could keep out of the range of their 
shots. We had yet seven miles to ride. If, he said, we 



342 "didn't catch us." 

could not run away, we must stand, wheel and fire — he 
taking the first man and I the second. This, he said, was 
because he considered me the best shot. Such is reputation 
without merit. The robbers, he said, would hold back, 
and when they did we would slacken also. Then all at 
once they would make another rush, come up and yell like 
so many fiends fi-om the lower regions and fire at us one 
shot after another. We returned none of these compli- 
ments, as we had to be sparing of our ammunition. They 
followed us to within four hundred yards of the town of 
Gandaga. 

When we rode up to the hotel Bob jumped off and ex- 
claimed with a laugh, "Well, they did not catch us." As 
for me, I did not feel sufficientlj^ recovered from my fright 
to laugh very heartily, though I was greatly rejoiced, 
for I candidly confess I was never more frightened. The 
next day we made Yass, a quite large inland town, the 
second in size in New South Wales, Goulbourne being the 
largest. Here we turned south in the Manaroo district, 
where we met with another man from Ballarat, on the 
same business as ourselves. His name was Dan Sweeney, 
a Canadian. We agreed to travel together, and if we 
could buy our cattle to unite them in one drove, which we 
did. At astation inBombaloo we purchased five hundred 
head at twelve dollars and seventy-five cents and started 
back, hiring two stockmen to go with us. We had to be 
with them night and day, especially at night, in case of 
a stampede. The method of dining was to let them feed 
along the way, just keeping them on the course, and 
whenever they want to camp, let them, they .will always 



A SUCCESS. 343 

get up just at break of day and range out to feed until 
ten o'clock, when, if there is water, they will camp again 
till about three in the afternoon, and then up and feed again 
until dark, then herd or bunch together for the night. 
We gave them their own time in driving, for they were all 
prime beef and we wanted them to hold their own, for if 
we rushed them they were sure to waste. They were all 
from five to seven years old, full grown and a fine lot, and 
we expected a good profit on them if got down in good 
condition. Sweeney was to pay one-half the expenses, 
and we saved the expense of two stock men by driving to- 
gether. I give these particulars to illustrate the difference 
between driving cattle in that country and this. We were 
about twenty-five days on the road. At Beechworth we 
divided the drove and Sweeney took his down to Ballarat. 
We had made up our minds if there was not a ready sale 
to take them on to Bendigo, or hold them over for a 
month at Bowman's Forest, the feed being good there. 
But we had not that trouble, for as soon as the word got 
out that there was a drove of fat bullocks near Beech- 
worth, the butchers from there and from Buckland, Yac- 
ananda and Wangarata came in, and in less than two 
weeks we had sold out, clearing about double on our 
investment and all expenses besides. One would wonder, 
perhaps, if the enterprise paid so well, why others did not 
go into the business. The truth is, the risk was too great 
of falling into the hands of the bush-rangers. Then one 
might make a dozen trips and not have the luck we had ; 
might have a stampede of the cattle, and not so good a 



344 PRICES AFFECTED BY THE SEASOST. 

market. The season of the year had much to do with it; 
if dry, the price runs up and people will not sell as they do 
here, as it costs nothing to keep them, for they get their 
own living the year round. 



SICK AGAIN. 34S 



CHAPTER XXIV. 

Sick Again— Gunston Goes Another Trip— Incident— Leave Wool- 
shed FOR Melbourne— Delirious— My Nurse— The Washerwoman 
—Recovery— First Staging— Concord Coaches— Cobb & Company 
— Forbes & Company — Davis & Cooper — Enter Davis & Com- 
pany's Service— Impounding Horses— The Rescue— The Outcome 
—Watson & Hewitt— Excitement of Coaching. 

GUNSTON was anxious to return on another cattle ex- 
pedition at once, not more so, perhaps, than I was; 
but just at the time we contemplated starting I was taken 
sick. Bob waited forme four weeks, when the doctors told 
us both there was no chance of my being able for the 
journey for months. In the meantime, Sweeney came back 
from Ballarat, having disposed of his drove, and had done 
equally as well as we had. He wanted Bob to join him; 
so they started, leaving me behind sick, where I lay for 
months, given up by the doctors for a time, and by myself 
likewise. Sweeney and Bob had rather a loud call from 
the bush-rangers this time. They put up one night at a 
hotel called the Pick and Shovel. After they had gone to 
bed and had both been asleep some time, they were awak- 
ened by someone trying to enter their room. The lock 
had been tampered with, and so before going to bed they 
had placed a chair against the door in such a manner as 



346 GOES TO MELBOURNE. 

to tip over at the least opening. They had been suspicious 
of the looks of the proprietor and all hands around the 
house, and were cautious. They heard two or more per- 
sons outside the door whispering. Sweeney heard them 
first, waked Bob, and they listened . Soon the chair tipped, 
and at that instant they let drive at the door two shots 
each. They heard them run, one saying "The bloody- 
wretches have done for me." Bob called for them to come 
back, that they had plenty more pills for them. When 
they went to bed thej'^ had noticed that they had been left 
with only a half-inch of candle, and hence their strong sus- 
picions and the precaution of placing the chair against the 
door. In the morning the landlord never mentioned the 
subject, nor did the boys until they were about to leave, 
when Bob told him that it was nothing for them to riddle 
a door or two, and a man or two for that matter, if they 
got in the way. 

The boys did not do as well on the second "mob" of 
cattle as we did on the first, although they cleared them- 
selves. Gunston went to New South Wales and I never 
saw him afterwards, but often heard of him. The last 
time I was saddened by the intelligence that he had lost 
all, and was earning his livelihood by day's work — a hard 
fate for a man more than seventy years old ; but so runs 
the life of mortals here below — those most deserving many 
times get on the poorest, at least, I feel it so in poor Bob's 
case. 

I remained on the Woolshed some three months, and 
it now seeme to me I must try to get away. It was 
two hundred miles to Melbourne, and it took the coach 



MY DOCTOR AND NURSE. 34T 

two days and nights to make the journey. I made up 
my mind to try the change, although everyone thought 
me mad to undertake the journey. The coach agent 
agreed that I could stop over at any place I wished 
to rest at. The fare was fourteen pounds, or seventy dol- 
lars. The first day I rode the whole time, but the next 
morning at four o'clock I was not able to come to time, 
and laid over for the day. The second day I rode through, 
but for the last twenty miles on the laps of two passengers. 
Upon arriving at Melbourne there was a person at the 
coach office who knew me and took charge of me, for, to 
tell the truth, I could not take care of myself, neither did 
I care what became of me, but Meggs — for that was his 
name — knew where to take me. The girl that took care 
of me when I came to Melbourne sick before, was now 
married and kept a hotel of her own, and it was there he 
took me. They at once sent for Dr. Gilbey, an eminent 
physician of the city. 

One may talk of sisters' love and kindness, but never did 
a sister devote more kindly attention to a brother than 
Mrs. Chisholm did to me. I believe that but for her I 
would not now be alive. Dr. Gilbey advised me to go into 
a hospital, which were even then excellent in that country, 
yet I objected and told him if he wanted the money for 
his visits every time, he could have it, but if I went into 
the hospital I should die. He said it was not the money, 
but that I would have better care than at a hotel. I told 
him I got all the care I needed. He afterwards said that 
had I been sent to the hospital in my nervous condition 
and against my will, I probably would have died. In a. 



348 BECOMES DELIRIOUS. 

week I became delirious and for many days and nights 
got not a wink of sleep. The idea possessed my brain 
that someone was trying to get into my room and get 
under my bed, and if they succeeded it was fatal to me; 
that my only chance was to keep awake and fight them. 
I told the doctor and my friends, who tried to persuade 
me out of the delusion ; but it was of no use — I could see 
them. All the medicine bottles left within my reach I 
shied at my imaginary enemies — and even the pillows. 
The more my friends tried to persuade me out of my hallu- 
cination, the worse I got, until even the doctor said I 
could not hold out but a day or two longer, and I now 
think I would not but for an old Irish washerwoman, at 
work in the house, who heard of the sick man upstairs 
that was going to die, and wanted to see me, and the^^ let 
her come. I, of course, related my troubles to her as I did 
to everyone. But she, unlike the others, did not try to 
persuade me out of my delusion, but perfectly agreed with 
me, and volunteered to help me turn them out of the room, 
and looked under the bed and assured me that we had 
them all out. From that moment the washerwoman and I 
were friends. She agreed to watch and keep them out. 
She insisted that she should have the first watch and I 
was to sleep ; then she would wake me and then she was 
to sleep. After this compact was signed and sealed I 
went to sleep, and slept until they dared not let me sleep 
any longer. When they woke me my mind was all right, 
but I was too weak to move. I was told that at one time 
they held a looking-glass to my face to ascertain if there 
was yet breath. I have always believed that the instinc- 



•> 
w 
o 
> 
o 
w 

I 

o 

« 
W 




349 



350 STAGING. 

tive good sense and ingenious methods of that old 
woman, in deahng with the vagaries of my diseased brain, 
saved me from absolute insanity and premature death. 

Many times since then when I have seen persons labor- 
ing under similar delusions, I have made it a point to 
agree with them, for they think they see what they profess 
to and are honest in such convictions. Nothing would 
irritate a sane person more than to have a person step 
up and dispute his honest assertion, and the result is the 
same with a delirious person, and to contradict him is 
worse than contradicting one of a sane mind. From that 
time on I gradually gained strength, but it was thirteen 
months before I could pursue any employment. When I 
did recover I went into the service of Cobb & Company. 
Freeman Cobb came from Boston and brought with him 
two Concord coaches, each capable of carrying fourteen 
passengers. He put them on between Melbourne and 
Sandridge Beech, a distance of three miles, for which the 
charge was half a crown each passenger. One can readily 
see how fast he was making money when they were both, 
loaded each way as fast as they were able to make the trips, 
at sixty-two and a half cents, or eight dollars and seventy- 
five cents each trip. It was not long before he extended 
his field and put on a line of coaches to Bendigo and 
Castlemain, the distance to the former being one hundred 
miles, and the fare ten pounds or fifty dollars. At first 
it took two days to make the distance, stopping for the 
night at Kinton ; but soon the route paid so well that they 
put on relays of horses and made the distance in one day,, 
and soon the business necessitated another coach. 



STAGE COMPANIES. 351 

At Geelong, Antony, Forbes & Companj^ started a line 
to Ballarat, fifty-four miles, charging seven pounds 
(thirty-five dollars), soon followed by an opposition hne 
but both had all the passengers they could carry, and 
many times passengers would book two or three days in 
advance, and I have known people pay as high as one 
hundred dollars for some other passenger's ticket. In the 
course of a year, however, there were as many as three 
lines of coaches between Geelong and Ballarat, each line 
running two or three coaches each way daily. Cobb & 
Company kept on the Melbourne and Bendigo route for 
about eighteen months, when they sold out to one Davis,, 
whose first name I have forgotten. Cobb went back to 
Boston, having, it was said, cleared fifty thousand pounds 
or two hundred and fifty thousand dollars, which he took 
back with him, but left his name behind, for the coaches 
still keep the name of Cobb & Co. 

Davis began on the Melbourne wharf with a single 
horse and dray and worked up from nothing, as they say. 
He soon got his second and third horse and dray, and so 
on until he possessed twenty or more such teams, and when 
the St. Kilda railroad contract was let, he got it. It 
was a short road of only three miles, but he managed 
to clear "big money," and then bought out Cobb & Com- 
pany and ran the coaches under the old name, associating 
with him Mr. Cooper, a druggist on Collins street. Not 
content with coaching alone, Davis went into the hide 
business. It was in the time of the Crimean war, and 
hides went up to an astonishing price, and he cleared on 
his first shipment a large sum. This induced him to 



S52 RECOVERY AND EMPLOYMENT. 

venture more and he undertook to monopolize the whole 
trade; but he failed, the war closed, hides went down, he 
lost fearfully, his creditor came down on him, and then he 
went up higher than Gilderoy's kite. Before he failed he 
had bought out all the other lines of coaches, had got all 
the government mails, and people supposed he was on 
the way to a rapid and immense fortune. This was the 
state of the coaching business in Australia at that time. 

I had now sufficiently recovered from my long sickness to 
enter active service, and went to work for the Cobb & Co. 
line of coaches. My first job was to take fifty-two head 
of horses that were considered unfit for the roads, up to 
Ballarat and sell them to the diggers to work on their 
puddling machines, or to anyone else, so I got the money 
for them. The first day I got to Bachu's Marsh, about 
thirty miles on my way, and put them in a paddock, or 
pasture, as we call it. The next morning I found every 
horse was out of the paddock and gone. I looked around 
and found that someone had let the slip rails down and 
they had gone into another paddock, and that the owner 
of that paddock had all my horses secure in his stock-yard 
to take to the pound. I went to the owner and told him 
I saw he had my horses in his yard, and asked what 
damages he claimed. I knew he had no right to charge 
more than one shilling and sixpence a head. He asked me 
if I was prepared to pay the damages. I said I was, if 
they were reasonable. He said he did not know how much 
he could collect, but he was going to all the law would 
allow, and put me to all the trouble and expense he could; 
that Davis had served him a mean trick, and he intended 



HORSES IMPOUNDED. 353 

to get even with him now he had a chance. I told him if 
Davis had done him wrong it did not become him to do 
n.e an mjury. He said I was one of Davis' hounds, and he 
thought as Httle of me as he did of Davis. I told him that 
although I was employed by Davis, I was no hound and 
was wilhng, rather than be detained, to pay him five 
pounds, which was more than he could collect by law 
But he would not let me have the horses, and still kept up 
h.s abuse both of Davis and myself until human endur- 
ance could bear it no longer. At last I told the boy that 
was w,thme to let down the slip panels, and as he rodeup 
to do so the man struck at him with a pole he had in his 
hand. I saw he was going to hurt the bov, and jumped my 
horse m between and received the full force of the bow 
myself, which had the desired effect of raising my temper 
Ijumped from my horse and told him I would show him 
that one of Davis' hounds would not stand beating like a 
common cur. I will give him the credit of not aetin<. like 
a coward, for as soon as I was on my feet he dropped the 
pole and took the attitude and elevated his clinched hands 
m the style of an experienced pugilist. In that day sueh a 
demonstration did not alarm me, and we exchanged a few 
br,ef compliments, not as amateurs, but in abusiness way 
when suddenly he fell to the ground. I insisted on his rest- 
mg there for awhile, though much against his inclination 
and I stood over him a few minutes to see that he sur- 
ged the paralytic shock. In the meantime, the boy had 
^ot been idle. He had secured the horse I rode, then 
dropped the slip-panels, and the horses came rushing out 
just at the moment when my pugilistic friend, unhappily 



354 THE RESCUE. 

for him, had another fall, and I had to pull him out of the 
way, or he would have been trampled under their feet. I 
was afterwards sorr}'- 1 did not let him feel their hoofs. 

The horses being all out, I jumped onto my horse and 
we followed them. Two broke out from the drove (or 
mob as it was called) and ran for another part of the 
pasture. I told the boy to follow the mob and I would 
bring in the other two. In the meantime Pettit— for that 
was his name — had raised a cry for help, and three men 
came at his call. They followed me with long poles, and 
as I would bring up the horses they would head them off. 
There was a big ditch which, if I could make the horses 
leap it I could get clear of them, never thinking but that 
my horse would follow, for he was a fine one. I got 
the two across, but when I had put my own to it he 
jumped down into the ditch, and there he stood stock 
still. They saw my fix and made a rush for me. Seeing 
them coming I put the spurs to my horse; he made an 
effort to climb out, the stirrup leather came out, the sad- 
dle turned, and off I came, bringing with me one of the 
stirrups and strap hanging to my foot. Pettit and his 
men were now close on me, only the ditch between us. I 
seized my stirrup and strap and sprang to the bank to 
meet them, swinging the stirrup over my head and calling 
to them to come on, that I was good for them all. At 
the same time -I would have given all the old boots and 
shoes I ever had, and thrown in a new pair, to have been 
out of there ; but the bold stand I took won the day, for it 
brought them to a halt, and there I stood challenging 
them to come, and calling them cowards, while my heart 



WARRANT ISSUED. 355 

was in my mouth for fear the}' would come. My horse 
ran straight to the mob and the boy got him and 
brought him back, and I was not long in getting on, never 
stopping to put the stirrup in place until I was at a safe 
distance from them. I did not tarry long in the neighbor- 
hood, but hastened on my journey. 

We made Ballarat that night, and the next day com- 
menced selling horses, disposing of the lot in three days. 
In the evening of the third day I was indulging in a game 
■of billiards with a gentleman from Bachus' Marsh, the 
place where the horses were rescued. He was the magis- 
trate there. "By the way, Ferguson," said he, "just 
before I left I issued a warrant for your arrest for rescuing 
horses that were guarded for the purpose of being taken 
to the pound. I would advise you not to return that 
way, for the police will be on the lookout for your coming 
by the coach." However, I did go back on the coach, but 
laefore going through Bachus' Marsh I changed coats with 
the driver, took the reins and drove up to the hotel. 
There stood the policeman with warrant, all ready to arrest 
me. He scanned the passengers closely, but to his evident 
disappointment I was not among them, he never for an 
instant suspecting that the coach-driver was the very man 
he wanted. We had dinner and left for Melbourne. The 
boy was not so fortunate. He stopped there afterwards, 
on his way back, helping to drive some cattle, and old 
Pettit had him arrested. It frightened the poor boy 
nearly out of his wits. The hotel-keeper went his bail for 
appearance the next day, and sent down word to me. I 
came up, getting there while the trial was going on ; went 



356 ARRESTED AND BOUND OVER. 

in, testified, took all the blame upon myself, and the boy 
was discharged. 

The policeman was waiting near the hotel to arrest me 
when I should come from the court. I had anticipated his 
attachment for my person, and feeling that I could not 
conveniently devote a day's time to the enjo3'ment of his 
society, I mounted a horse which had been brought around 
to me from the hotel, and was off. The baffled policeman 
called after me as though he wanted to tell me something. 
There are moments when one's mind is too much absorbed 
in business affairs to hearken even unto the voice of the 
centurion . I knew, of course, that I would be caught sooner 
or later, but for the present I could amuse myself and annoy 
the noble Pettit at one and the same time. The matter was 
quiet for several weeks. Pettit could hear of me almost 
daily, and if the police wanted me the}' knew where to pick 
me up ; but they did not want me. At last I was obliged 
to go through that place, and having become tired of 
dodging, I let them take me. The landlord went bail for 
my appearance the next day, when I was bound over to 
take my trial at the next term of the criminal court on the 
charge of rescuing horses from John Pettit, in his possession 
for the purpose of being taken to the public pound. 

It was not till then that I had found out how serious 
was such a charge. Penalty, fifty pounds ($250) and six 
months imprisonment, in the discretion of the court. In 
due time the case was heard. Pettit swore he demanded 
only the legal fees, that I refused to pay anything, declar- 
ing that I would have them by fair means or foul without 
paying a cent. His band of men corroborated him in some 



THE RESULT. 357 

of the particulars of the rescue. It was in vain for the boy 
to testify against three; and in the colonies the prisoner 
cannot be sworn — he is permitted only to make a state- 
ment. I acknowledged taking the horses, and told my 
story exactly as the affair happened. Although Brother 
Pettit was a Wesleyan class leader, the judge commented 
somewhat severely on his conduct and testimony, intimat- 
ing that my unsworn statements seemed more truthful 
than his sworn testimony; but as the evidence stood, on 
the w^hole, he was compelled to impose the fine of fifty 
pounds. I paid it with the consolation that Pettit got 
none of it, besides having had all his trouble for nothing, 
and lost the five pounds I had offered him in the beginning. 
Trul}'-, avarice even hath its reward. Mr. Davis paid all 
my expenses and the fine cheerfully, and fully justified me 
in all I had done — only facetiously blaming me for pulling 
Pettit out from under the horses' feet when they were run- 
ning over him. I remained in his employ some seven 
months, and until his misfortunes came and his creditors 
closed down upon him. He was a good man at heart, and 
I believe an honest man, but his sudden downfall affected 
his mind. He became involved in some criminal charges, 
left the country and went to California, where he soon 
after died. 

Such had been the confidence in the responsibility of 
Davis, that his many employes had made him their banker 
and left their earnings and accumulations in his hands, 
thinking them as safe there as in any bank in Melbourne. 
They had been getting the highest wages paid in the colony. 
Overseers and agents, twenty pounds a week ; night mail 



358 STAGE COMPANY RECEIVERSHIP. 

coach-drivers, ten to fifteen pounds per week; grooms, 
from five to seven pounds ; but when the word came that 
Davis had failed, they were not only surprised, but many 
of them with families were greatly distressed. A man 
named Walker was appointed receiver, who continued the 
coaching about six weeks, and I don't think there was ever 
before so much stealing in the Australian colonies in the 
same length of time as there was under the Cobb & Com- 
pany coach receivership. There was not an agent or driver 
but what had lost in wages from two hundred to one 
thousand pounds, and he was bound to make it up ; and 
had the receivership been continued for four months, the 
agents and drivers could have bought out the estate and 
paid handsomely for it, for they were getting most of the 
receipts. Just at this time Watson & Hewett made the 
creditors an offer of about one-third of the value of the 
rolling stock, taking the government mail contracts off 
their hands, which were paying an enormous profit, besides 
the passenger traffic, which \vas accepted, and a sudden 
stop was put to all way-money swindling and everything 
else irregular. 

George Watson, the principal in the new coaching firm, 
v^as a true Irish gentleman, well known and respected 
by everyone in Melbourne. He was a famous racing 
man, and was acknowledged to be the best cross country 
rider after the hounds in the Australian colonies, and was 
one of the pioneers and patrons of the Melbourne race- 
course, and holds an honorable position in that association 
unto this day. He is now over seventy years of age, and 
has been a prominent figure on the Flemington course 



STAGING PROFITS. 359 

for nearly forty years. Cyrus Hewitt was an American 
from the state of New^ York, and had long been superin- 
tendent for Cobb & Company, and was continued in that 
position under Davis till his failure. Where he got the 
money to buy into the concern was always a mystery to 
me and a puzzle to everybody else, for apparently he had 
.nothing, having even lost his wages deposited or undrawn 
in the hands of Davis. 

Watson & Hewitt purchased the Beech worth line of 
coaches, and I went upon that road. The mail contract 
alone was twenty thousand pounds a year, and the 
passenger traffic was one hundred and seven pounds a 
day for the twelve months I was on the ro^d. The work- 
ing expenses were ninety-three pounds, leaving a profit 
of fourteen pounds a day, over and above the mail con- 
tract. After eighteen months they sold out for twenty- 
two thousand pounds. I give these figures to show the 
enormous profit there was in the coaching business in 
that day. They also had a contract with the government 
of India for the supply of horses during the Sepoy rebel- 
lion, for which they received thirty-seven pounds per head, 
delivered aboard ship, which did not cost one-half that 
amount. I was employed by them during that contract. 
In the course of one year they turned over to the agent 
of the government over four thousand head of horses at 
that rate of profit. 

No business had so much excitement in it as coaching, 
especially on the Beech worth road. I knew most all the 
passengers and w^as constantl}' meeting old friends. The 
route was two hundred miles long, and the trip had to be 



360 EXCITEMENT OF COACHING. 

made within the twenty-four hours. It was a constant 
bustle and hurry. Each driver had his subdivision of 
about fifty miles. It was not altogether without danger, 
for once in a while there was a case of mail robbery. I 
have a vivid recollection of an incident that occurred on 
the Beechworth road while I was on it. At Talarook 
forest, some fifty miles out of Melbourne and about five 
miles from any station, about two o'clock in the 
morning, a man jumped out and seized my lead horses. 
We had large reflecting lights and thereby I saw his first 
move and pulled up the wheelers before getting entangled 
with the leaders. In an instant I had my pistol on him, 
and told him to let go or I would shoot him. He seemed 
to be alarmed or confused at my covering him so quickly, 
and said he wanted a passage to Kilmore. I told him he 
came near getting a passage to a hotter place, and 
advised him never to experiment in that way again. I 
still kept him covered with my revolver, and told him to 
give me one pound and jump in. He pulled out a roll of 
notes of enormous size and handed me one, which I put 
in my outside pocket without looking at it. When I 
arrived at the next change of horses I put on the way- 
bill — "one pick-up, one pound to Kilmore." I thought 
nothing more of it till one of the passengers told me that 
the fellow that got into the coach on the road, jmnped 
out before we had gone a mile. 

When arriving at Melbourne it was usual to hand in the 
way-bill and what money we had picked up on the road. 
I did so, and the agent called me and said I was one pound 
short. I looked at the way-bill, and I knew at once where 



MAIL ROBBERY. 361 

the missing pound was, and went to my coat pocket and 
pulled out the note, when, to my surprise, it proved to be a 
twent}^ pound note. I paid the one pound out of my own 
mone}'-, thinking that the first man I would meet when 
I got back toKilmore wouldbe my passenger of Talarook, 
for it did not occur to me what the other passenger had 
said about his jumping out. But I never met him again, 
and my conscience never troubled me for keeping the nine- 
teen pounds surplus. 

The day after the above occurrence I received a message 
from the road manager to come up to the other end of the 
route, and of course someone had to drive back in my 
place. This driver was Frank May. As he approached 
the same place, he was stopped in the same way by three 
other men. One held the horses, one covered the driver 
with his pistol, while the third went through the passen- 
gers. They took forty-three pounds from the driver, and 
all the mail bags, and left for the forest. One of them was 
soon caught. He had been a groom for the company. He 
turned Queen's evidence against the two others, and also 
said that they had intended to "stick it up" two nights 
before, but the damned Yankee was too quick and covered 
them first. The two were tried and hung for robbing her 
majesty's mail, and what became of the one who turned 
Queen's evidence I never knew. If I had had my way I 
would have let the other two hang him first, for he got the 
others to do the job and then took good care to save him- 
self when "pinched," which is colonial slang for caught. 
For several years hardly a month passed without a mail 
robbery, the largerst being on the New South Wales side. 



362 THE HORSE-TAMING FEVER. 



CHAPTER XXV. 

Rarry's Exploits— Horse-Taming— Furor in the Colonies—Observa- 
tions IN Boyhood— The Secret No Secret— Could Do the Same 
—Tried and Succeeded — Horsemen Astonished— Public Exhibi- 
tion — Handsome Receipts — Exhibit in the Principal Cities — 
Jerry Luther and the Ladies— Benefit for the Schools— The 
Lunch— The Wild Horse and His Fair Rider. 

IN 1857 the English papers that came to the colonies 
were full of the accounts of John A. Rarry's wonderful 
and mysterious exploits as a tamer of vicious horses — 
among the many being Prince Albert's celebrated Cruso. 
As all who were privileged to witness his exhibitions were 
under bonds of honor to keep the secret, the outside world 
was kept in ignorance of his process. The colonial papers 
copied these accounts and wrote ponderous editorials on 
the powers of the horse wizard, and the biography of all 
the high-toned aristocratic and vicious horses that took 
their provender from the royal crib. 

This set me to thinking that a short time before I left 
my home in Ohio, a man came around through our neigh- 
borhood breaking in unruly horses, and among others he 
took a very bad-tempered mare to break belonging to 
William Griffith, a neighbor of ours. He had a son, Milo, 
about my age, and we were very intimate, and, as my 



THE HAY-MOW STUDENT. 363 

father used good-naturedly to tell us, were always study- 
ing up some sort of deviltry. Be that as it may, we were 
determined to find out the secret of this man's horse- 
taming, if there was any. So we agreed that on the 
morning the man should come to break in the mare, we 
would stop home from school and hide in the hay-mow 
and witness the performance — and we did so. After the 
affair was all over we were so frightened for fear it would 
be found out, that we never breathed it to a living soul. 
I remember the man strapped up the horse's leg, and 
handled him in that position, and that is about all I did 
know or see, for in our guilty fright we dare not stick our 
heads out of the hay far enough to know all he did. I 
thought this new furor of horse-taming was probably noth- 
ing more nor less than what I had learned in the hay-mow. 
Just at this time a gentleman arrived from England, who 
had witnessed Mr, Rarry's exhibitions, and in conversa- 
tion with him I told him I could do the same ; that I had 
witnessed all that when I was a boy. He asked me the 
secret. I told him as far as I knew, and assumed what I 
did not know. I questioned him as to what he had seen 
Rarry do and got some information. He thought I knew 
all about it. I thought I would try the experiment at 
some convenient time. 

Up at the end of my stage division lived a Scotchman, 
who owned a large ranch at Longwood, on the Beech worth 
road. His name was Middlemas, and I brought the sub- 
ject to his attention. He poh-pohed at it, and said it 
was a Yankee blow and humbug. I told him if he would 
bring in one of his wild horses upon my return, I would 



364 BECOMES A PROFESSOR. 

convince him it was no "blow." "Bj Jo!" said he, "I 
will take you at your word." He was to have the horse 
in and put in the "loose-box" — the matter to be a profound 
secret. The horse was ready on my return. I was sorry 
when I was brought to the test, but if I backed out I knew 
I should never hear the last of it, and both myself and my 
country would suffer for my indiscretion. I could, perhaps, 
endure the disgrace, but the United States would be humili- 
ated by my failure. However, I put on as unconcerned a 
countenance as possible, and said, "Very well, we will soon 
fix him in the morning." I went to bed, but did not sleep 
much for thinking. After breakfast I got a sursingle, a 
strap and a rope, and went into the loose-box with the 
horse, and shut the door, determined that if I had any 
good results the outside world should know nothing of 
my wonderful secret. 

I soon got the strap around the horse's neck and the 
rope through a ring in the manger, and pulled him up to 
it as short as I could and fastened him. Then I got the 
sursingle around him and the strap around the fore leg at 
the fetlock, and then through the sursingle, and pulled the 
fore leg up, making him stand on three legs. I pulled the 
hoof up as close to the sursingle as possible and fastened 
it, got a bridle on to him and cast the rope loose, and 
rousted him about as much as I could in so small a space, 
which was wholly inadequate for such experiment, for if 
the horse lunges, as he is very likely to, there is no getting 
out of his way. At first he made some desperate efforts 
to free himself, and I had some very narrow escapes from 
getting both struck and stamped with his free fore feet, for 



TRIUMPH, 365 

lie was the most spirited and determined animal I ever en- 
countered At last, after struggling to free himself for some 
twenty minutes, he quieted down for a short time, and as 
soon as he did so I approached and caressed him, talked 
to him, put my arm over his back and patted him on the 
other side, keeping on the side of his strapped fore leg, 
when he got so as to stand that I gradually drew myself 
up on his back. When he felt my w^eight he made a des- 
perate spring, but I had a firm hold of the bridle rein and 
could hold him as I liked. This performance was contin- 
ued for twenty minutes longer before he w^ould allow me to 
get on and off without objection. After awhile he ceased to 
resist and allowed me to do as I pleased, and when he so 
far yielded to my treatment, I turned him around with his 
leg still strapped up and got on and off him again and 
again, then stood up on his back and sat down gently, and 
repeated until he did not seem to care for that. Then I 
would slip off over his hips, taking good care as I did so 
to spring out of his way. Next I led him around the loose- 
box, all the time patting and talking to him. When I 
found he would allow all this, I let down his leg very gently 
and went through the whole process with his leg down, 
led him around and repeated it, also lifting his legs, first 
one and then the other. Now I got the saddle, put it on 
him and tried him again and found him all right. I was 
not only delighted with m^^ triumph, but felt greatly re- 
lieved. In fact, I felt proud. The whole performance in the 
loose-box occupied just two hours and a half. I went out 
and reported the horse ready for inspection, and Mr. Mid- 
dlemas and his friends came out with me to see him tried 



366 LAURELS WON. 

outside. The groom went in and led him out, mounted 
him and rode him around the yard, to the surprise of all 
who witnessed it. By turns they all handled him the same 
as I had, and eventually, after serving the refreshments,, 
all had a turn in riding him. 

None were more pleased or more astonished than 
Middlemas himself. He had bought the horse, he said, 
with some forty others, and told the man he bought of 
that he intended to have this particular horse broke in 
for his own use. The man told him not to have anything 
to do with him, for he had been tried by one of the best 
horsemen in the country where he came from and he could 
do nothing with him, that he would run great personal 
risk if he did. However, in less than a week he had him 
driving in his cart as quietly as any horse he had on his 
place. This happy result was a feather in my cap, and 
now nothing would answer but I must give a public 
exhibition of my powers of horse-training there in Long- 
wood, and that at once. Middlemas made proclamation 
of the wonders I had performed, and the whole country 
being then excited over Rarry's performances in England, 
when I returned on my next trip a horse was read}-^ for 
me to operate upon, Middlemas guaranteeing me fifty 
pounds the first exhibition I would give. Well, I com- 
menced this time under more favorable circumstances, for 
I had the horse in an open yard. I took him in hand and 
in less than two hours had him equally as subdued and 
quiet as the first one, and the exhibition was satisfactory to 
all who witnessed it and to m3^self. The receipts were 
sixty-six pounds (three hundred and thirt}^ dollars)— a 



PUBLIC EXHIBITIONS. 367 

pretty good day's work. My success that day settled in 
my mind my future occupation for a time. A horse-tam- 
ing I would go. So the next trip to Melbourne I notified 
the firm that I was going to leave. I left my orders for 
advertising and got a bond-book printed, for I intended 
to follow in the footsteps of my illustrious predecessor 
in England, and have all my pupils bound to secrecy. 

I put out my bills for an exhibition at Banalla, where 
I met with equally as good success as my first in Long- 
wood; then to Devil's River, or Mansfield, as it is now 
called ; then to Wangaratta, and from thence to Beech- 
worth. Here the first day I lost repute by refusing to 
take a horse that had been known for years for his bucking 
propensities. I objected to him on the ground that he was 
a broken in horse, and that I could not show all I wished 
to on a horse of that kind. Many thought me afraid to 
undertake "Old Croppy," that it would be a failure, that 
they would not pay their three pounds, although I told 
them to leave the money in responsible hands, and if I 
did not do all I advertised to do they would get their 
money back. But that did not allay their suspicions, and 
I had only ten witnesses to my performance, which was, 
if possible, the most successful one I had yet given. 
Finally I told them to bring on "Old Croppy/' and that 
venerable old horse who had conquered all the knights of 
the saddle was brought into the ring, and in the incred- 
ible short time of twenty minutes I could stand upon his 
back, and he was afterwards rode through the town of 
Beechworth by more than twenty different persons. This 
was another triumph for me, and I was waited upon by 



368 CONTINUED SUCCESS. 

many prominent citizens and requested to give another 
exhibition of my skill. I was engaged to go to Yakan- 
danda the next day, but promised to return on the follow- 
ing day if they would be on hand at 9 a. m., so that I 
could reach Albury the same day, a distance of thirty 
miles, where I was advertised to appear. They agreed, 
and I returned and carried off for that forenoon's work 
over fifty pounds, and arrived in Albury in time to give 
my exhibition according to appointment. 

I was now in New South Wales, and towns were far apart. 

My next engagement was at Waga Waga, thirty miles 

distant. Here the people were inclined to regard me with 

doubt, and only three persons patronized me. Afterwards 

I rode my subject outthrough the town, and went through 

some few movements, such as standing on his back and 

sliding off over his hips. This seemed to surprise thecrowd, 

which now insisted on my giving another exhibition. 

But I had an engagement at Adalong, forty miles distant, 

and could not stop. However, I agreed that if they would 

guarantee me fifty pounds, and have a horse ready for me 

the next morning, so I could be away by noon, I would 

remain over night there. The horse was ready at seven 

o'clock in the morning, and at ten I rode away without 

having laid a hand on the horse myself; one of the men 

who had patronized me the day before performed the whole 

job under mv instruction. I took sixt3--five pounds and rode 

out of town amid the cheers of the crowd. At Adalong 

I met with my usual success, and from there went to Gan- 

daga. Here the good people had heard of my former success 

and had resolved to bring me a horse that would conquer 



A TEST CASE. 369 

the conqueror. They had one that had thus far conquered 
everyone who had tried him, and thrown every rider, and 
they felt sure I would meet a like fate. If he could not 
dislodge his rider by rearing or kicking, he would rear and 
fall over back, and thus crush or injure his rider. I felt no 
little anxiety concerning him, but my reputation was at 
stake and it w^ould not do to appear frightened, which I 
confess I was, but did not let them know it. He was a 
large, powerful horse, well mouthed, but of a most vicious 
temper. He would kick, bite and strike. The strapping up 
of his leg seemed to surprise him ; he did not know what 
to do. I handled him differently from the others which had 
never before been handled. Those I was gentle w4th, but 
this one I jerked around and made him perform on three 
legs. He soon discovered that he could not perform the 
backing dodge on three legs, so he resorted to his old trick 
— rearing and throwing himself over backward. This I 
soon overcame by means of the long line I held him by, for 
when he was on his hind legs I would jerk him over back 
and throw him, instead of letting him throw himself. 
This was a puzzle to him. He could not understand why 
I should assist him in turning a somersault. It never 
had been so before. The third time he tried it I g^ave him 
a terrible fall, and when he again rose to his feet he began 
to tremble— he quivered all over. I at once saw that he had 
given in— he was conquered — for I had learned a great deal 
more in the short time I had been in the business than I 
ever knew before. I found, and have never known it to 
fail, that when a horse trembles along the shoulders and 
flank, his viciousness has departed. 



370 THE SECRET FOR A SIXPENCE. 

I then began to treat him more kindly, patting him and 
putting my arm over him, his leg being still strapped 
up; I got upon his back and rode him around the ring. 
When I found he made no remonstrance to that, I put the 
saddle on, led him around, then rode him again with the 
saddle, and finally let his leg down and rode him around 
in that way. Then I rode him out of town a mile or more, 
accompanied by his owner upon another horse, when we 
o-alloped back. From that time till dark that horse was 
kept on a move— first one and then another riding him, 
till more than thirty persons had been on his back. And 
now half of the inhabitants of the town nearly ruined 
their own health m drinking to mine, with the Rip Van 
Winkle toast— "Here's to your good health and your fam- 
ily's, and may you live long and prosper." 

Mv next place w^as Yass. Only one man came to see 
me. A book had come out professing to give the secret of 
horse-taming— price, sixpence— and the people w^ere not 
o-oino- to o-ive three pounds when they could learn it for a 
sixpence. This gentleman had bought one of the pam- 
phlets, tried his hand in the enterprise and failed. So he 
came to see me, but as there had been no horse brought 
in, of course mv occupation was gone for that day. He 
made many inquiries, so I asked him what his book told 
him to do. He said the book told him so and so. "Yes, 
and the horse did so, did it not?" "Yes." "And what 
did you do then?" "That's just where I am puzzled ; the 
book did not tell me, and I could go no further." "Suppose 
vou had done so"— telling him what to do. He slapped 
me on the shoulder, and said: "By jove, that's it!" I 




m 



372 THE SCHOOL BENEFIT. 

took him out to my own horse in the stable, and explained 
to him very fully. He was greatly pleased, and insisted 
on my accepting a ten pound note, saying the information 
was worth twenty times that amount to him. 

At Sidney, the capital of New South Wales, I gave sev- 
eral exhibitions at Tattersal's bazaar, and out at Para- 
matta. A horse, which had been put on board a ship for 
India, but which proved so bad that he had been taken 
off, was brought to me, and I had the satisfaction of 
subduing all his vicious habits and propensities, and my 
receipts were abundantly satisfactory. Lastly, I went to 
Maitland where I gave two exhibitions, at one of which I 
was honored by the presence of many ladies. Here I met 
an old Victoria friend, Jerry Luther, a thorough character, 
not unlike Micawber, in Dickens' 'David Copperfield,' 
always waiting for "something to turn up." He was a 
good-looking person, tolerably well educated and of good 
manners; always moved in the best society the place 
afforded, a universal favorite among the ladies, and, conse- 
quently, the subject of envy among the men. Jerry took 
me in hand immediately upon my arrival in Maitland, and 
proposed an exhibition of my skill as a benefit for the 
vSchool, ladies to be admitted at half price. I consented, 
leaving the management to Jerry, who procured a suitable 
place at the stables and yards of Mr. Samuel Clift. 

The day arrived, and so did Jerr}^ and his lady friends, 
about fifteen in number, together with about the same 
number of gentlemen. Jerry had it well arranged — the 
door thrown open facing the yard, seats arranged on the 
floor of the barn, and the horse already in the yard. After 



THE LADIES AND THE ORATION. 373 

seating his company and holding a brief consultation 
with me, in which, among other less important and em- 
barrassing suggestions, he insisted on my opening the 
exercises with a short but well-considered and eloquent 
address. To this I demurred — it was unprecedented ; I 
never had done such a thnig at any exhibition ; it was not 
set down in the bill; it was not "so nominated in the 
bond." "But," he said, "ladies have honored you with 
their presence; they expect to hear your voice as well as 
to observe your wonderful powers." It was of no use to 
resist, and, still protesting, I consented. Jerry retired to 
the back of the seats where he could gesticulate his ap- 
proval or disapproval of my remarks w^ithout being 
noticed by the audience. I was nonplused by this new 
act injected into the play. I thought of the happ}^ lot of 
the rural member of congress, in the United States, who 
had a year to compose and write out one poor, weak, little 
speech, and then could get it printed in the Congressional 
Record without ever having even read it in the halls of 
state, yet read by admiring constituents from the "Hub" 
to the Golden Gate, while I must waste the impromptu 
sweetness of my oratory upon the desert air of an Austra- 
lian barn-yard. 

I could harangue a crowd of men in the mining camps 
in the well understood slang of the "Holy Land," as Van 
Diemen's Land or Tasmania is called by the "old men," 
but the presence of ladies was a new^ feature, and I was 
timid, embarrassed and faint. However, I came forward, 
carpet-bag in hand, containing a wardrobe for the horse, 
consisting of straps, sursingle and lunging line, and sue- 



374 THE MYSTERIOUS CARPET-BAG. 

ceeded in stammering out "Ladies and gentlemen" — or 
words to that efFect. The ladies smiled, and then I knew 
I had struck a sympathetic chord. My confidence returned, 
and I was emboldened to add that it would be useless for 
me to attempt to enlarge upon the celebrated Mr. Rarry's 
system of horse-taming, neither would it be necessary for 
me to enter into detail of my treatment of the animal, as 
I had a subject to operate upon for the purpose of giving 
ocular demonstration. "If anj^one has come expecting to 
see anything mysterious and wonderful, disappointment 
wnll follow. If you expect me by some mesmeric passes to 
bring the horse upon his knees and invite the rider to get 
upon his back, again I say you will be disappointed. 
Rarry's system was simply, first, getting the horse under 
control, and then by kindness overcoming his fears. In 
overcominghis fears his vices are subdued, and he becomes 
what he truly is, man's best friend." [Here I was greeted 
with rounds of applause, in which Jerry led off and the 
ladies followed.] This gave me time to breathe, and I con- 
cluded I had better stop while my reputation was up in the 
market as a public speaker. 

I then opened my carpet-bag, which had been gazed upon 
as containing something mysterious, and pulled out a 
w^ebbing lunging line, a sursingle and tw^o straps, and in- 
formed the company that with those I intended to develop 
to their eyes the wonderful secret. They looked rather 
disappointed, especially the ladies, when they discovered 
that the carpet-bag, which had been the subject of so much 
curiosity, should after all contain only three bits of leather 
with buckles on them and a webbing line about thirty feet 



MISS CLIFT AND THE WILD HORSE. 375 

long. But they took it graciously, while I being then a 
little lame from a recent injiirj', Jerry came forward accord- 
ing to promise and rendered assistance. 

My horse oration was very satisfactory to Jerry. The 
affair came off with admirable success, and for a time I 
thought I should even rival Jerry among the ladies, but 
that feeling was soon dissipated, in one case particularly. 

Mr. Clift had prepared a lunch, and after the perform- 
ance was over we all adjourned to the house, all talking 
of the powers of man over the brute creation ; not all, 
however^erry and Miss Clift were not there. We were 
all busy at lunch when we missed them. Miss Clift was 
an excellent equestrian. Presently there was a commo- 
tion outside, and upon looking out all were astonished 
to find that Jerry had put Miss Clift's side-saddle upon 
that lately vicious wild horse, and she sat thereon 
with the ease and grace of a Circassian princess, while 
Jerry was astride of another splendid horse, and thev 
were riding through the street at full speed and the crowd 
of spectators cheering them. 

At Maitland I met with an accident that ultimately 
ended my career as the Rarry of Australia. In giving a 
private exhibition I sprained my ankle jumping from the 
horse while standing on his back, and I w'as compelled 
to give up the business. I sold out to a couple of gentle- 
men, brothers, who had been my patrons under bonds to 
secrecy, for one hundred pounds, gave them m^^ bond-book 
and agreed to give no more public lessons in the colonies. 

Often afterwards I practiced it privately, and there are 
hundreds in Australia who think to this day that I possess 



376 FEAR THE CAUSE — KINDNESS THE CURE. 

some secret power over a horse that no one has knowl- 
edge of but myself. But that is an error, for the only 
secret is this — a horse is possessed of a certain amount of 
intelligence, but has not the power of reasoning. It is fear 
that makes a horse vicious. Overcome his fears and his 
vice is gone, and the quickest way to do that is by kind- 
ness. To be sure there are different dispositions in horses, 
as in persons, and such require different treatment. One 
must study their various traits, as the superior mind treats, 
manages and controls the minds of inferior men. Nearly 
ever}' horse can be subdued and made gentle by kindness, 
the same as it is with people. I have never yet failed to 
subdue a wild or vicious horse that I took in hand, and 
never resorted to that degree of severity of discipline that 
b}"^ an\' person could be deemed cruelty, though I have 
often been obliged to resort to pretty severe firmness.. 



COASTING TO GIPPS' LAND. 377 



CHAPTER XXVI. 

GiPPs' Land — A Gold Rush — Dealing with His Uncle — Cattle Duff- 
ing — Unexpected Offer — Royal Society — Exploring Expedi- 
tion — Hasten to Melbourne — Appointed Foreman of the 
Expedition— Fitting Out— The Start— Reviewed by the Gover- 
nor—Curiosity of the People— Camels a Novelty— Grooming a 
Camel— Cooper's Creek— Resignation and Return— Fate of the 
Expedition — Starvation and Death. 

RETIRING from the show business and returning to 
Melbourne, I went once more to coaching and fol- 
lowed it for little more than a year, when I was again 
taken sick and was obliged, when partially recovered, to 
make a change of climate. I made a coasting voyage up 
to what was then a newcountr}^, Gipps' Land, named after 
Sir George Gipps, governor of New South Wales from 
1838 to 1846. While there a new gold field broke out on 
the New South Wales side, about two hundred miles up 
the coast from Gipps' Land, on the Snowy river. 

Now there never was a gold rush but I must see it, and 
this one was not an exception. Off I started. Arriving 
there I found it had, like many others, been greatly enlarged 
upon, though many were doing well. There was a scarcity 
of beef, while there were thousands of cattle within a few 
miles from there, in what was called the Monoro country,. 



378 THE NEPHEW OF HIS UNCLE. 

but there were not men there then who would venture 
down and bring them up, for it was a hazardous under- 
taking to drive cattle in those broken ranges. 

I met a young man named Croft, a native of Sidney, who 
told me an uncle of his had a station not more than forty 
miles distant, of whom we could get cattle at five pounds 
per head, and we arranged to go into the slaughtering 
business. He started for his uncle's station, while I re- 
mained to put up a slaughter-yard. By the time the yard 
was read}^ he was up with the cattle, and we commenced 
slaughtering. It was my first experience in this line of 
business. We killed twenty-five head. It puzzled me that 
he got that number when he had taken only seventy 
pounds in money with him. It beat m}^ mathematical cal- 
culations, and when I enquired of him he said it was all 
right, he got them of his uncle. So I supposed his uncle 
let him have them on time. We sold to the butchers by 
the carcass. 

When we had nearly sold out Croft went back for more, 
this time taking a hundred pounds in money. I supposed 
he would pay for what he had got on time and purchase 
as many more ; that I would have what meat we had on 
hand all sold out, and on the third trip we would owe 
nothing for cattle. To my surprise he returned with up- 
wards of thirty head. I was all sold out and waiting for 
him. 

After a few days we were preparing for the third draft 
when I asked him how much we owed his uncle. He told 
me we owed him nothing. He said the first time he 
bought twelve head and paid for them, and picked the rest 



HEALTH RESTORED. 379 

up on the ranch. The second time he paid for sixteen head 
and picked up sixteen more. I protested against this man- 
ner of doing business. He said the old man did not know 
how many cattle he had ; that he never would find it out ; 
and if he did he would not prosecute him. But I could not 
see it in that way, and was now determined to get out of 
the business, at least with the nephew of his uncle. A 
butcher bought me out, and glad I was to get out m time, 
for I was sure that sooner or later they would be found 
out. And I was right, for they were very soon "pulled," 
and each were imprisoned for what is there called "cattle 
duffing." 

The town sprang up like a mushroom, as all mining 
towns do, and was named Kiandra. It is situated in the 
most mountainous part of New South Wales, and in the 
roughest and coldest part of the colony I had yet found. 
It was in the winter months when I was there, and the 
snow was falling, but not as it does in this country. 
There it falls and melts, making it muddy and sloppy 
under foot, and the air cold and damp. At the season I 
was there it seemed to me the most disagreeable place on 
the earth. In summer it is said to be delightful. 

The change had done me good. I had been away from 
Melbourne only three months, and was as rugged and 
healthy as ever I had been in my life. But this place was 
away out of the world to me, and I had become thoroughly 
disgusted with it. Nothing would induce me to remain 
there, not even the assurance of a fortune. Besides, I did 
not like the memory of that butchering business, and was 
anxious to put as many miles between me and Kiandra as 



380 THE EXPLORING EXPEDITION. 

possible. I had acted in good faith and my conscience did 
not trouble me. I had sold out honorably and to good 
advantage, and was ready— not " waiting, " like Micawber, 
— for something to turn up. 

A new field of enterprise soon opened to me, and one of 
a kind I least expected. The nature of it is indicated in a 
letter of Dr. Macadam, secretary of the Royal Society at 
Melbourne, Victoria, in the following terms: 

Mr. Charles D. Ferguson: 

Sir— There is a vacancy in the Victoria Exploring Expedition which 
will beheld open for you up to its leaving Melbourne. If you think favor- 
ably of it, come to Melbourne as soon as convenient, as it intends to leave 
on the first of August. 

John Mac.\dam, Secretary. 

A letter received from Robert O'Hara Burke at the same 
time of the above, informed me that he had been appointed 
leader of the Victoria Exploring Expedition, that he was 
anxious for me to join it, and advising me to come to Mel- 
bourne at once, that salary was a second consideration. 

This was in 1860. It should be borne in mind that 
Australia is not an island, but a continent, nearly three 
thousand miles in length from east to west, and over two 
thousand from north to south, having an area in square 
miles greater than the United States and about equal to 
the whole of Europe. The country had never been ex- 
plored, at least the continent had never been crossed, 
although there had been various attempts to do so. The 
first was by Dr. Lekhart, a German, who started out from 
Sidney in 1851, but never was heard from afterwards, nor 
have any traces been found to this day, for any certainty, of 



PRIOR EXPLORING EXPEDITIONS. 381 

the fate of the explorer and his party, though there have 
been rumors of traces, but when followed up have proved 
to be wholly mythical, and there is more known to-day of 
the fate of Sir John Franklin among the ice floes of the 
Arctic seas, than of Lekhart in the interior deserts of 
Australia. The government has expended many thousands 
of pounds in searching for the truth of these fabulous re- 
ports, which at first seemed plausible, but when investi- 
gated, each and all proved alike untrue and disappointing. 

The next expedition was that of Sturt, who reached 
the interior as far as Cooper's creek, where he wandered 
about for sometime and then returned, reporting the in- 
terior one vast desert of sand and sage brush, wholly des- 
titute of grass and water. Subsequently Macgregor took 
the field, but he got no further than his predecessor, and 
returned bringing the same discouraging report. Besides 
these, there had been many private individuals, and pre- 
eminently, Sir Thomas Elder, an Australian millionaire of 
noble spirit, who made exploring expeditions, looking for 
ranges and pastures for sheep and cattle; but all told the 
same discouraging story on their return, many coming 
near losing their lives in the loss of their horses by starva- 
tion. In 1859 a Mr. Stuart, equipped at the expense of 
Sir Thomas Elder, started from South Australia with two 
companions, and came nearer to success than any previous 
party. He was obliged, however, to return for want of 
provisions. 

The Victorian government, in 1860, took consideration 
of the subject. Private subscriptions were tendered, one 
man giving a thousand pounds, and hundreds of others 



382 HASTENS TO MELBOURNE. 

smaller, but very respectable sums. The government 
voted fifty thousand pounds. The management of the 
expedition was put into the hands of the Royal society. 
They sent to India and procured twenty-six head of 
camels with drivers, and appointed a leader and selected 
their men. I had read of the contemplated expedition and 
thought I would like to be one of the party, but knowing 
the difficulty there was in getting position in government 
affairs without powerful friends to back one, while at the 
same time there were plenty who could get places, though 
no more fit than children, from having friends in the gov- 
ernment or in the Royal society, my mind did not long 
dwell upon the subject. Therefore, one can judge of my 
surprise when I received the letters before mentioned. I at 
once set out on foot for Melbourne to meet Mr. Burke and 
present myself to the officers of the Royal society. It was 
one hundred and forty miles to Albury, a broken and 
unsettled country for the first hundred miles, houses thirty 
miles apart, and the most dreary country in Australia. 
My horse had been stolen, which necessitated my starting 
on foot — it was a lonely country for that business. I 
heard of him a year or more afterwards in New Zealand, 
having met the man who stole him ; he laughed at me, 
thought it was a good joke, and told me he afterwards 
sold the horse. So it is a realit}^ that there are places 
w^here, as the countryman said of the city, "They cheat 
each other and steal and call that business." I walked 
the distance in four da^'s. When within eight miles of 
Albury, just at dark, and when I was making haste to 
reach a house I knew to be only three miles distant, I 



PAINFUL INJURY— GETS A RIDE. 383 

made a misstep, and in trying to save myself, sprained my 
ankle and fell. For twenty minutes it seemed to me I 
never suffered such excruciating pain in my life. I lay and 
rolled upon the ground. It was three miles from a house, 
and cold and sleety weather ; could not put my foot to the 
ground, and what to do was more than I could tell, when 
presently I heard the sound of a spring-cart (for I had 
now reached the old Sidney road). I made up my mind 
to have a ride at any cost. When the cart came up I 
hailed the driver, who was a hawker, or peddler. His 
only response to my request for a ride was a stroke of 
the whip upon the horse. My case was one of desperate 
emergency — I must ride or die. I could not walk to the 
next house. I seized his horse which I held with one hand, 
and leveled my pistol at the driver, and there I stood and 
compelled him to listen to my story of agony and pain, 
and told him I only wanted to ride to the next house, and 
what was more, I was going to do so. I would not 
hurt him, but held onto the reins and covered him with 
the pistol until I had crawled into the dray, when I gave 
him the reins and told him to drive on ; that I would not 
hurt him, but ride I must and would. He never spoke 
a word, but drove me to the hotel three miles distant. 
When I slid down from his cart I could not walk. I 
asked him to help me in, and he did— in fact, he was so 
frightened he would do anything I told him. I then 
treated him to a glass of brandy and tendered him five 
shillings for my ride. He declined to take it but accepted 
a glass of hot brandy. By that time he had got over his 
fright, and he told me he was never so frightened before in 



3S4 MET BY A MESSENGER. 

his life. It was then five more iniles to Albury, and he 
insisted on my riding in with him. I jocosely hinted that 
he might be frightened. "No," he said; that was the 
reason he wanted me to go with him, as he had no fear of 
being stuck up if I was with him. I accepted his invita- 
tion and he drove a half mile out of the way to set me 
down at the Exchange hotel, kept by Kidd & Brittle, 
Americans. 

The next morning a policeman arrived at the hotel 
and enquired of the landlord if he had any commands for 
the Snowy river. Mr. Kidd asked him what was taking 
him there? He replied that he was doubtless on a wild 
goose chase, but he was the bearer of a letter to a man 
there by the name of Ferguson. Kidd told him if it was 
Charlie Ferguson he had only to go up to room nine to 
find him. A knock at my door necessitated my hobbling 
to it to slip the bolt, when I was surprised to find a 
policeman facing me. I thought of Croft and his uncle's 
cattle. Then I saw by his uniform that he was a Victo- 
rian policeman and would have no official business with 
me over the border. Responding to his civil question for 
my full name, he handed me the letter. It was from In- 
spector Bookey of Beechworth, informing me that the 
Royal society had w^rittcn him requesting that a mes- 
senger be sent to the Snowy river to find me, fearing I 
would not get the letter before posted to my address. 
I remained at Albury that day and took the coach for 
Beechworth the next morning, where I saw Mr. Bookey 
who offered to forward me to Melbourne at the expense 
of the Royal society. This I declined, as I did not wish 



ACCEPTS THE POSITION. 385 

to be under obligations to the society in advance. He, 
however, wired them that I was on mj way. Mr. Burke 
met me at the coach office and took me to the Royal 
society's hall, where I met the exploring committee then 
in session. Nothing was concluded that evening, but I 
agreed to make them a proposition at their meeting the 
next day. In accordance therewith I offered to join the 
expedition at a salary of four hundred pounds a year. 
They accepted the offer at once, and on the following day 
I received my official appointment as foreman of the 
Victorian Exploring expedition, Robert O'Hara Burke, 
leader, July 10, 1860. 

From that time on I was constantly devoted to the 
preparation of the outfit — horses to buy, wagons and 
harnesses to be made, and men to break in, which was a 
more difficult, task than the breaking in of horses, for 
most of them were not only inexperienced but illy adapted 
by habits of life for the service. They were from 
England, Ireland and Scotland, and had come out with 
letters of introduction to people of influence in the colonies 
who felt under obligation to do something for them, and 
this was the grand opportunity and they embraced it. 
Most of them having been brought up "a gentleman," as 
the term is understood in England, they knew nothing 
of hard work, and, besides, they were one and all, as a 
matter of course, preeminently ignorant of frontier, or, as 
it is there called, bush life, and consequently wholly unfit 
for an expedition of that kind. 

I well remember the remark I made to Mr. Burke upon 
my first visit to the Royal park, where the men were 



386 PREPARATIONS AND OUTFIT. 

quartered, when he asked me what I thought of them. I 
told him if I could have my way I would select my men 
from some of the old experienced bush-men in the prison, 
rather than start out across the continent with such raw 
recruits; that I did not believe one-half of them could 
harness up a team and drive it. And my assertion proved 
even more than true, for there was not even one man 
among them that could put together a four-horse team 
and drive it afterwards. The purchasing of the outfit 
devolved entirely upon me. The wagons were fitted up 
in the government prison, the clothes and boots also were 
made there, and even the horses were shod there — in fact, 
the prison was the industrial institution of Melbourne 
and the source of mechanical products. 

This brought me in contact with the prisoners, who were 
kept under the strictest discipline, and tobacco was pro- 
hibited. When I went to look after the work they con- 
stantly importuned me to bring them some tobacco, and 
not thinking of prison rules, I was rather liberal with 
it among those that were at work for me. I did it to en- 
courage them to hasten on with the work. But my liber- 
ality made me trouble. Other prisoners became jealous 
of those that worked for me, and laid information against 
me. I was watched, soon caught in the act and brought 
before the superintendent, where I learned the enormity 
of the crime. Fine, twenty to fifty pounds for first 
offense, and three months imprisonment, in the discretion 
of that officer. I told the authorities that I knew they did 
not supply rations of tobacco to prisoners, but did not 
know it was such a crime for one to give them some ; that 



OFF"ICERS AND ARTICLES OF AGREEMENT. 387 

I was anxious to get on with the work and wished to en- 
courage them to expedite it, and hoped they would over- 
look my offense and impose as light a fine as their rules 
would admit of. So a fine of twenty pounds was imposed, 
and Mr. Burke was told that I was not to be allowed 
among the men an}- more. I owe that fine yet, and am 
likely to, and if they keep the account they will always have 
something due them. I was told that if I wished to give 
the prisoners tobacco I should put it in the loading I was 
sending out, as thc}^ would be sure to find it and appro- 
piate it. 

But things soon came to a stand-still inside. Not a man 
knew what I wanted done. But I would not go inside 
until I had an order from the superintendent to admit me. 
Things were soon put to rights. The men only held off 
until my presence was allowed. I supplied them with 
tobacco until my work was done, but was more careful in 
my manner of distribution. I only mention this unimport- 
ant incident to illustrate the constitutional meanness of 
those miserable men toward each other— jealousy and 
cussedness. 

The expedition was expected to be ready to start by Au- 
gust 20, and I was determined that nothing should be left 
undone on my part. I was obliged to let out some of the 
work to private individuals, as I could not get some 
things done in the prison. Finally I had the entire outfit 
completed in time, and on the seventeenth of August, 
1860, the whole party were assembled at the Royal socie- 
ty's hall to sign the articles of agreement for the expe- 
dition. Robert O'Hara Burke, leader; George James 



388 OFFICIAL INSPECTION— THE START. 

Landels, second ; Charles D. Ferguson, foreman ; Mr. 
Wills, astronomer; Herman Becker, doctor and botanist; 
Dr. Ludwig Beckler, artist ; subalterns, William Brah, John 
Drake, John King and Patrick Lanon. There were a num- 
ber of others whose names I have forgotten ; besides, there 
were two Sepoys, or East Indiamen, drivers of the twenty- 
six camels ; four wagoners and twenty-six head of horses. 
Three extra wagons were hired to take some of the loading 
as far as Swan Hill, a distance of two hundred and twenty- 
miles. 

The day after signing the articles was Saturday, and a 
great day at the Royal park. The governor and lady, 
with a retinue of lesser officials and distinguished friends, 
turned out to inspect our outfit, and I was gratified by 
receiving many compliments from his excellency and others, 
upon the result of my labors, although I was not satisfied 
therewith myself. A grand lunch was provided for all. 
One or two of the men became a little too hilarious through 
excess of beer, and when Mr. Burke heard of it he sent for 
me and gave me orders to discharge them and send them 
out of the park. I suggested to him that I had not the 
power to do that ; I could only suspend them from duty 
and report them to him ; that it was his province to dis- 
charge them, which he did. 

On the morning of the twentieth, before ten o'clock, over 
sixty thousand people had assembled to witness the start- 
ing, from the Royal Park, of the Victorian Exploring expe- 
dition, on its long and perilous journey. How few of all 
that party thought they were starting out upon their last 
journey upon earth. Little did anyone of them think that 



CURIOSITY OF THE PEOPLE. 389 

of all that party there would be only one left to tell of 
the disastrous fate of the expedition ; but so it was. Al- 
though no expedition ever before started out under more 
favorable auspices, or seemed more sure of success, yet 
providence or fate ordained its utter annihilation. The 
route was due north, and the objective point was the Gulf 
of Carpentaria, supposed distance about two thousand 
miles. The caravan caused no little commotion in travers- 
ing the settled portion of the country embraced in the first 
few hundred miles. Cattle and horses along the route 
stampeded from terror at the sight, and even at the smell 
of the camels, wafted on the breeze in advance of their ap- 
pearance. It was said that some wild horses on the 
ranches ran thirty miles before stopping, such is their in- 
stinctive aversion to and terror of the camel. Men, women 
and children along the line and from stations and ranches 
many miles distant, came in to see the camels, and in 
nearly every instance the black natives, to whom the 
camels were alike a curiosity and a dread, compared them 
to the emu, for the reason, I suppose, of their long neck, for 
in no other feature could I see the slightest comparison. 
They were very shy of them, and never could one of them 
be induced to mount the animal or even go very near one. 
They would only approach in crowds, and those behind, in 
their eagerness to see, would push those in front uncom- 
fortably near, and when the camel would make that 
gurgling sound which it often does when displeased or 
cross, it was laughable to see the blacks tumble over each 
other to get out of his way or reach, for they invariably 
approached in squads of a dozen or more. The men had 



390 MK. BURKK. 

much sport with the blacks and camels, for the latter 
seemed to thoroughly detest the blacks, and would show 
viciousness whenever they approached, and seemed to 
know the blacks were afraid of them. 

I had rather an unenviable position among so many inex- 
perienced men, although I really believe there was not one 
among them but would get up in the night without mur- 
mur, if I required it of him. Mr. Burke often used to tell 
me I worked too hard, and would ask me whv I did not 
let the men do it. I told him if I stood and looked on it 
would take till doomsday for them to learn, but if I showed 
them by doing it myself, they would eventually learn. Mr. 
Burke was an Irishman, and a gentleman in every sense 
of the w^ord. He had been an officer in the Austrian army, 
and w^as, no doubt, a good soldier and a brave man, but 
he had the hasty impulses of his countrymen, and was not 
calculated, for that reason, for an unwarlike expedition of 
that kind. He was kind and generous to a fault, but, let 
anything happen out of the common routine, he was con- 
fused, then excited, till finally he would lose all control of 
his better judgment. Then, again, when he made up his 
mind to do a thing, he never considered the consequences. 
He had thorough discipline, and no one dared presume to 
contradict him. Still, if taken the right waj^ one could 
influence him to a change of order or policy. Often he 
would come to me with an order which to me seemed 
erroneous. I would simply say, "Very well, Mr. Burke" — 
that was enough for him to know that I did not approve 
of it. He would at once ask if I did not think it best to 
do so, when I would suggest whether it would not be pref- 



THE ASTRONOMER AND ARTIST. 391 

arable to do so and so, and he would at once say, "You 
are right; do as 3^ou Hke; " when, if one had said to him 
that his was not the best way, he would have it done his 
way, let it result as it might. Landels would have made a 
better leader than Mr. Burke, being a cooler and more cal- 
culative man, with a good deal of Indian experience before 
coming over with the camels. 

Young Wills was a son of Dr. Wills of Ballarat, and 
was almost a native, having corne to the colonies when 
a mere child. He was an attache of the Melbourne 
observatory, and had he lived w^ould have made his mark 
in the world. Dr. Ludwig Becker, the artist, was a very 
genial man, always trying to assist someone, not as yet 
having had opportunity to display his artistic skill. He 
often asked me to find him something to do so he could 
assist the poor men. Finally, one day, I asked Lanon, an 
Irishman, if he had not something for the doctor to do. 
"YeSjSur, of coorse I have,"said he. "What is it," mildly 
asked the doctor. "Groom that camel," said he, and gave 
him a brush and pointed him to one of the most vicious 
camels in the whole lot. As the doctor approached, the 
eamel let out one of those gurgling sounds which frightened 
him, and he asked if the animal was kind. "Kind as a 
lamb, sur," said Lanon. Then came another gurgle and 
the doctor retreated. "Just say, salaam, salaam, to him," 
said Lanon, "and he will be kind as a kitten, sur." The doc- 
tor again approached cautiously, pronounced the magic 
words, and at last got his brush to work on the camel's 
fore leg. The doctor wore a pair of cotton moleskin pants, 
as thick as a board and twice as strong, and about two 



392 GROOMING THE CAMEL. 

sizes too large for him, especially in the seat. All of a 
sudden I heard a most unearthly yell for help, in 
both German and English. I looked and saw the doctor 
hanging in the air, about ten feet from the ground. The 
camel had got him by the seat of his pants, between his 
teeth, and was raising and lowering him, to the height of 
not less than ten feet, the doctor kicking and swinging his 
hands and calling for help, when at last the pants gave 
way, and just at the moment when the doctor was highest- 
in the air, down he came upon his hands and knees,, 
and then struck out without waiting to regain his feet. 
While I could hardly refrain from laughing, I felt the 
necessity of reproving Lanon, and asked him why he 
selected that vicious camel for the doctor. He looked as 
solemn and sedate as a judge and answered, "I never saw 
him do the likes of that before, sur." Neither had I.. 
However, the good doctor never applied for any more 
jobs. 

The expedition made Cooper's Creek about one thou- 
sand miles due north of Melbourne, on the sixteenth of 
December, and there made a cache for provisions and 
supplies and established a relief corps, and were preparing 
to proceed in pursuance of the original plan and in accord- 
ance with prior instructions for the second half of the jour- 
ney, the terminus of which was the southern and extreme 
point of the bay of Carpentaria. But just at the moment of 
breaking camp new orders arrived from Melbourne for a 
division of the party with a view to divergence into three 
separate routes, ultimately to converge at a common 
rendezvous on the shores of the great northern bay. This 







393 



394 IMPRACTICABLE ORDERS— RESIGNATION. 

was deemed impracticable by those in charge of the 
expedition, and not only extra hazardous, but contrary 
to the terms of their contract of service. The order not 
only produced consternation for the increased danger 
to small parties, but produced a state of unhappiness 
that could not be quieted or allayed. Mr. Burke, true and 
faithful to his education of obedience, regardless of con- 
sequences, even in a remote region where his superiors 
could have no knowledge of the country and its dangers, 
and he knowing the orders unwise, insisted on following 
instructions to the letter. Consequently many of the 
men refused to obey Mr. Burke's orders for the division 
of the party of the expedition, and finding cheerful obed- 
ience to duty on the part of the men wholly departed, 
and, moreover, finding it impracticable to manage and 
be responsible for three separate companies, I resigned 
my commission and received an honorable discharge from 
Mr. Burke, and returned on foot and alone to Melbourne. 
Mr. Landels, who came from India and had special charge 
of the camels and the camel drivers and grooms, soon 
followed me. The diversity of sentiment and want of 
common and mutual interest among a mixed multitude, 
of English, Irish, German, Scotch and East Indians, but 
few, if any, practical business or even working men, and 
none of them experienced in border life and the hardships 
of such over-land expeditions, rendered the duties and 
responsibilities of the manager of the train doubly 
onerous. 

After my resignation and the departure of Mr. Landels, 
the expedition, in some manner, resumed its northern 



THE RESULT. 395 

course, and was absent and lost to the world, and even to 
the relief corps which they left at Cooper's creek, for the 
space of four months, when a remnant of it reached there, 
April 21, 1860, only to find the relief corps gone and noth- 
ing left to eat. The result was, every vestige of the expe- 
dition disappeared forever, save only one man. King, 
rescued alive from the blacks. A full and minute history 
of the expedition would be of exceeding interest to many, 
and I have sometimes thought I would relate it from its 
inception to its tragic end, but my final conclusion is that 
it would be impossible for me to do so without casting 
reflections upon some who took an active part therein; 
besides, files of innumerable documents of conflicting testi- 
mony are in the archives of the Roj'^al Society of Mel- 
bourne, and as the terrible tragedy is now past nearly 
thirty years, I refrain from more than general remark, 
treading lightly on the ashes of the dead. The errors, 
committed on either side were errors of judgment and not 
of motive — errors of the head and not the heart. It was a 
grand scheme and enterprise of the Royal society in the 
interest of science and geographical discovery, and its 
ultimate catastrophe is not, in my judgment, chargeable 
upon the Royal society. Many scandalous slurs were 
indulged in towards that honorable body, but from 
my own personal knowledge, I knew the insinuations 
were groundless; and direst charges were made against 
the society, which never had the shadow of a foundation 
in truth. 

I will mention only the general progress of the expedi- 
tion without very minute details. Our progress was very 



396 GOVERNMENT RELIEF PARTY. 

slow through the settled portions of the country, mainly 
from bad roads, or rather no road at all in the open 
countr}^ but in no small degree detained and hindered by 
visitors who swarmed around us, many coming from a 
distance of fifty miles, so curious were they to see the 
^rand cavalcade, especially the camels and their turbaned 
drivers from Hindoostan, which were a novelty in Austra- 
lia. The men gradually became accustomed to the work, 
and seemed anxious to learn, so the task was not so hard 
upon me as at first. But men cannot learn their work, of 
this nature, in a v^eek nor in a month, hovvcver anxious 
they may be to do so. And I do now and here wish it to 
be distinctly understood that I do not assume to mj^self 
the sole and exclusive knowledge of the management of 
such an expedition in such a country, or that I was 
perfect at all times and under all circumstances, in manners, 
temper or spirit; but I did then, and do now claim that 
from the experiences of my whole life, up to that da}^, I 
was enabled to know, and did know my business as well 
as, and even better than anyone else connected with the 
expedition; and had my advice been followed, touching 
the route, the order and discipline of the train men, I 
have not the least hesitancy in asserting that, in my judg- 
ment, the expedition would have returned in triumph. 

But thefateof the Victorian Exploring expedition is now 
amatterof histor^^and briefl3'^told. It succeeded in its main 
object — to cross the Australian continent — the first ever to 
have accomplished it — but with the loss of the entire party 
save one, King, who alone remained to relate the sorrowful 
tale. A government relief party sent out, found him alive 



THE SOLE SURVIVOR. 397 

among the black people and rescued him — sick and emaci- 
ated, sad and sorrowful. He survived but a short time 
after he was brought in. Burke's and Wills' remains were 
found and brought into Melbourne, where they were buried 
with honors which they richly deserved and for which 
they had laid down their lives. And now there is a noble 
monument in Melbourne erected to the memory of those 
men, on whose paneled base, for a hundred generations, 
may be read the honored names of Burke and Wills, as the 
first pioneers to cross the continent of Australia. Lan- 
dels, who left the expedition soon after I did and returned 
to Hindoostan, has since died, leaving the narrator hereof 
the sole surviving member of that famous expedition. 



398 THE diggers' triumph. 



CHAPTER XXVII. 

After Ten Years — Invests in Quartz — A Failure— Rush to New 
Zealand— Gets a City Contract— Coach Driving— Fox's Diggings 
— Lumbering on Waktepac Lake— Lord Trotter and His Sheep 
— The Mutton Story— The Raffle for the Boat. 

TEN years had now passed since the discovery of gold 
in Australia. In that time there had been a great 
change in the system of mining. After the new constitu- 
tion, the miners were represented in parliament, each min- 
ing district sending a member. The diggers had triumphed 
in the great modern principlein government — taxation and 
representation inseparable. Henceforth the two were to 
go hand in hand, and the first fruits thereof were laws 
made in conformity to the interests of the great mining 
industries. In Ballarat the frontage system was estab- 
lished. Before that, if one sunk a hole and it proved not 
to be on the lead of gold, it was a dead loss; but the front- 
age system gave one aclaim on the lead of gold, no matter 
if it was one hundred yards from where you sunk your shaft. 
Then again, there was no protection for the capitalist until 
Frasier's bill, called the Limited Liability act, became a 
law. This law only held one liable for the actual amount 
he individually invested, or, in common parlance, an amount 
equal to his stock. This encouraged capitalists to invest 



QUARTZ INVESTMENT AND FAILURE. 399 

largel}', and it was not long before the whole country was 
excited by the quartz-mining fever that had broken out all 
at once in Victoria. There were many companies formed 
in Ballarat, Bendigo, Castlemain, and, in fact, in all the 
alluvial diggings, and were the means of opening up a new 
country. Companies were daily forming. Large quartz 
mining plants were being erected ; in fact, it was a new era 
in the mining colonies. 

Among the rest, I was carried away and induced to in- 
vest in the Stiglitz Quartz Mining Co. and in the Sailors' 
Reef Co., the latter containing only three. Our prospects 
w^ere good and our hopes were high, way up above the 
hundreds; in fact, we rather overreached ourselves, and 
were obliged to take in the fourth man as a partner, who 
furnished twenty-five hundred pounds, and for security 
took a bill of sale on the Reef. He was a great speculator, 
but a thoroughly honest man. He, however, became in- 
volved, his creditors shut down on him and then came 
down on the Reef, to our ruin. We were turned out with- 
out a pound in money among the three. In less than 
twelve months from that time that claim sold for half a 
million of dollars. We lost all. It was hard, but such is 
the fate of a miner. I never attached any blame to the 
man that failed, for it killed him, poor fellow ! and liked to 
have killed another of our stockholders, for he took to 
drink over his hard luck and liked to have killed himself, 
and would have done so had it not been for his brother, 
who got him on board a ship bound for New York. I have 
seen him in New York since my return, and he related tome 
the following account of himself after leaving the colonies. 



400 SAILS FOR NEW ZEALAND. 

When he came to himself, he said, he had not the least 
idea where he was or where he was going to until the cap 
tain told him. When he landed in New York he had just 
half a crown in money (sixty-two and a half cents). His 
friends lived on Long Island, but he made up his mind not 
to go to them until he got a little start. He had plenty of 
good clothes and that was all. Before leaving New York 
he had acquired a knowledge of the grocery business, and 
now he went to his old employer, secured a job and stayed 
with him a year, never letting his friends know he had re- 
turned. Then his old employer set him up in the store 
Avhere I found him, and where he had been for eighteen 
years, his friends not knowing for over two years of his 
return to this country. His other partner in distress got 
a job on the coaches. 

Just at that time a great rush was made for the middle 
island of New Zealand, and I sailed for that country al- 
most dead broke, so nearly so that when I landed in Ga- 
briel's Gully, all I had in the world was thirty shillings 
(seven dollars and fifty cents). I looked aroundfor a hotel 
to stop for a night and saw the sign of the Golden Age, 
and knew it was kept by an old Victorian, and went in 
and asked for a bed. There was a stranger behind the 
counter who told me that the house was full; when I 
turned to walk out with a feeling of disappointment and 
sadness, I heard a voice from an adjoining room sing 
out, "As full as we are, there is always room for Charlie 
Ferguson." I knew I had fallen among friends. I had, 
indeed, for had I been looking for a friend in need, 
which is the friend indeed, I could never have found a bet- 



MEETS RICHMOND AT OTAGO 401 

ter one than Harry Richmond. He was as much surprised 
to see me as I was to find him there, for he had heard that 
I had made a fortune and returned to the United States. 
But error travels faster and spreads wider, and finds ac- 
cess to nooks and corners and out of the way places, 
which easy-going and slow-paced truth never overtakes 
or finds. Besides, my experience is that one is never sure 
of a fortune until he has grasped it, and even then it is 
liable to take the wings of the morning, or the afternoon, 
for that matter, and fly to the uttermost parts of the 
earth ; at all events, generally, so far as to be hopelessly 
beyond recovery. 

Richmond related his history since we last met, which 
was full of the usual events incident to the life of a gold 
seeker in the Australian colonies. Immediately after 
going through the insolvent court in Victoria, he left to 
try his luck in other gay and festive scenes, as he expressed 
it, and shipped for Otago, on the middle island of New 
Zealand. Soon after his arrival the gold excitement 
broke out and he went up to the diggings, and there I 
found him keeping a hotel and doing a first-class business. 
In return, I had, of course, to tell him of my career since I 
had seen him ; all the Melbourne and Sydney news of men 
and events ; of our wreck on the Sailor's Reef, and the fall 
of the house of Ferguson! 

He at once extended the hand of friendship and informed 
me that there was an opportunity just open for me. A 
contract was to be let the next morning for cutting, exca- 
vating and building a culvert on Main street; that the 
fund was raised and he was treasurer; that proposals 



402 BECOMES A CITY CONTRACTOR. 

were called for, and all I had to do was to put in a bid,, 
and I was sure to get the contract. So, in pursuance of 
his suggestion, I wrote out proposals to do the work in 
accordance with the specifications for one hundred and 
sixty pounds sterling. To my utter astonishment I was 
the accepted contractor. In less than ten days after 
arriving in the place I cleared just one hundred pounds out 
of the contract (five hundred dollars). My good fortune 
did not stop here, for no sooner had I completed my con- 
tract with the town cotmcil than Mr. Hoyt came up to 
the diggings with four horses and drays to sell to the dig- 
gers for the purpose of hauling wash dirt from the claims 
to the creek to be washed. He could not just then sell 
them to advantage, and I made him an offer to work them 
on shares — an equal division of the net proceeds after 
deducting the expense of keeping and drivers' wages, which 
was one pound a day. I used to do the hustling— getting 
the loading and seeing that they were not idle. Each dray 
could make from six to eight pounds per day. But oats 
were sixteen shillings per bushel, and "chaff" (bran or 
shorts) one pound per hundred, consequently it cost about 
three dollars a day each horse. I followed this for about 
four weeks, when the work was all done. Upon settle- 
ment with the owners of the teams, I had averaged for 
myself, all expenses being paid, six pounds (thirty dollars) 
per day. I then received orders to return the teams to 
Dunedin and I would be paid for my trouble. I gave out 
notice the day before I was to start that I would take 
passengers through in two days for two pounds per head, 
and I was soon full — about five passengers to each dray. 



GAINS A LAWSUIT. 403 

I gave the drivers tlieir fare for driving. I collected the 
fares and got thein started, and when the stage came I 
got into the coach and left the drays to come after me. 

Upon arriving in Dunedin I was at once offered a job 
as coach driver. I took it and retnained with the coaches 
about three months, when I returned to Victoria to attend 
a lawsuit in which I was a party. Of the four months 
I had been on the island I had not been idle a day. I had 
made froin eight to forty pounds a week, averaging over 
eighteen pounds, and should not have left but for the law- 
suit I had in hand, which required my presence and which, 
like taxes, must be attended to. Thus ends the first lesson 
in New Zealand. 

Having gained my suit in Victoria and a verdict of three 
hundred and eighty-seven pounds, I was ready to return to 
New Zealand. The first discovery of gold in that island was 
in a locality called Gabriel's Gully, and a small area of the 
surrounding district. Then there was a lapse of some 
eight months before any more discoveries were made, and 
the miners began to think that gold rushing, as it was 
called, was at an end in that island. The government 
had a standing reward of two thousand pounds for the 
discovery of a paying gold field anywhere outside of 
thirt\^ miles from those already opened, and many were 
the prospecting parties who hoped to make the necessary 
discovery and secure the reward. For a long time no one 
claimed the government bount}'. The government itself 
sent out prospecting parties, but none as yet had discov- 
ered signs of the glittering treasure. At last two diggers 
arrived in Dunedin, Hartley and Johnston, and presenting 



404 THE NEW ZEALAND GOLD RUSH. 

themselves at the treasury office claimed the reward, 
exhibiting at the same time in proof of their claim forty 
pounds weight of fine gold, which they had obtained in 
six weeks about one hundred and twenty miles from 
Dunedin, at a place called Dunston, on the Molonox river. 
The news spread like wild-fire throughout the three islands, 
and the first steamer that arrived in Melbourne brought 
the news. Victoria was instantly in a blaze of excite- 
ment, and in less than forty-eight hours steamers were 
chartered, and daily thereafter left the Melbourne docks 
literally thronged with human freight, and this was kept 
up for weeks and until one would think, who never had 
been there, that Otago would be as crowded as were the 
steamers with merchandise and traders and the number- 
less eager and anxious diggers whose bosoms glowed 
with hopes and fond expectations. But, alas, not one 
in ten ever had their expectations realized. 

The island of Otago had only been settled a few years, 
and consequently was not prepared for any such sudden 
influx of population, so it naturally had the effect to open 
up an immense trade with the neighboring colonies, par- 
ticularly with Melbourne and vSydney. Merchants shipped 
large cargoes of groceries and goods of all descriptions, 
and cattle and horses were shipped daily on the same 
extensive scale. I was employed by Messrs. Henry and 
Charles Hoyt to go over with horses. The latter gentle- 
man was already there, where he had put on a line of Cobb 
& Company's coaches. I made several trips for that firm, 
and was also employed by them in Dunedin for consider- 
able time. 



DUNSTON — THE FOX DIGGINGS, 405 

But there is something so infatuating about gold dig- 
ging to one who has once been employed in it, that it 
seems almost impossible for one to be cured of it or to 
keep out of it, especially when one is constantly hearing 
of those who had made wonderful strikes and sudden 
fortunes. One never hears from the unlucky ones, the 
unfortunate and the desponding. They, however, keep 
plodding on, still hoping for a change in their luck, for 
luck it is, after all. 

The feeling was over me and was irresistible, and I de- 
termined to once more try my luck, and this time in the 
gold mines of New Zealand. I started for the Dunston. A 
fresh gold field had just been opened on the Arrow river, 
about fifty miles from Dunston, by one William Fox, and 
was called Fox's diggings. Three of us bought a horse and 
pack-saddle, for which w^e paid seventy-two pounds, packed 
our blankets and tools and started. When we arrived we 
heard of another creek called Skipper's creek, up in the 
mountains, and they are mountains indeed, mountains 
that are almost impossible to crawl up, especially for a 
horse, with cliffs of rocks where one will be obliged to crawl 
along the side of a precipice where a misstep would send 
him hundreds of feet below. As we were passing over one 
of these places our horse stepped on a loose stone, slipped 
and went over, nearly taking Jim Cornish, who was lead- 
ing him, also. He had hung on to him as long as possible, 
hoping to save him, but was finally obliged to let go, and 
over the poor horse went ; and his bones are doubtless there 
at the bottom to this day, if he is not j^et falling, for the 
chasm into which he fell seemed bottomless. It was utterly 



406 THE HOGBACK — TIMBER. 

impossible for us to get down to our blankets and tools 
and provisions, and so we lost the whole. 

This may seem incredible to those who have never been 
in New Zealand; nevertheless, it is a fact which will be 
borne out by thousands who have traveled through that 
country prospecting as I have. Many persons have lost 
their lives in the same manner as our poor horse lost his. 
I remember a place called the Hogback — some two hundred 
yards across it — where a person dared not cross when the 
wind was blowing hard, for fear of being blown over either 
one side or the other, it being hundreds of feet down on 
either side, and so nearly perpendicular that it was impos- 
sible for one to stand. After losing our horse we w^ent 
backtoOueenstown, a little town that had sprung up since 
the diggings opened, situated on Lake Waktepac, which 
is about one hundred and seventy miles inward from Dune- 
din. It is a chasm of fresh water about seventy miles long 
and from half a mile to three miles wide. It is said to be 
unfathomable in some parts, and has a verj^ strong under- 
current, so much so that if a man falls overboard in the 
middle, he is seldom rescued. I have some doubts of the 
correctness of that statement, for I once jumped from a 
raft in the middle of that lake and am herestill. However, 
as I struck the water I managed to catch hold of the stern 
of a boat, and pulled myself into it. 

There is no timber on the middle island except in a few 
places. About eight miles from Dunedin is a small patch 
of some twenty acres, and another at the foot of Mount 
Munkatoon of about one hundred acres, also another 
patch at the head of Lake Waktepac. This last timber 



WRECKED ON WAKTEPAC LAKE. 407 

yvas on an island about twenty-five miles above Queens- 
town, and consisted of poles from three to five inches in 
thickness. They were in demand for building purposes and 
would bring from one to six dollars apiece in Queenstown. 
Four of us concluded to cut a few thousand and float them 
down on a raft. We paid one hundred pounds for a boat 
whichhad been brought to the lake by wagon, and launched 
and started for the little wooded island. "We were not long 
in cutting poles enough to make a good-sized raft, tying 
them together with New Zealand flax, which grows abun- 
dantly in all parts of that country. Our raft completed, 
we started on the downward voyage about the middle of 
the day, expecting to get into port by the next morning, 
as the weather was good and there was a full moon. 
There was a slight wind in our favor, and we fixed up a 
mast, and for a sail put up a pair of our blankets, which 
helped us along wonderfully. We got on finely until five 
o'clock in the afternoon, and had made nearly half the dis- 
tance, which put us in good spirits, so much so that we had 
already begun, like the girl in the Webster's Spelling Book, 
to count up our profits and consider how we would invest 
the proceeds, when, upon rounding the elbow of the lake, 
which was just half the way, we met a squall. Never was 
there another place on lake or ocean, where a squall will 
materialize in less time and without giving the slightest 
notice, and where water will become rougher, than on Lake 
Waktepac. 

In less than ten minutes' time the waves were rolling, 
and the raft was pitching and liable to come to pieces at 
any moment. I was on the raft and at once took in the 



408 A SAM PATCH LEAP. 

sails by pulling out the mast. I at once saw my situation' 
and called out to the boys to let go the tow-line, which 
they did. Then how was I to get off and into the boat? 
There was little difficulty in getting off, but plenty in get- 
ting into the boat. If they came too near there was 
danger of the raft plunging upon and swamping the boat. 
My only chance was to make a regular Sam Patch leap, 
and for that I prepared by divesting myself of coat and 
boots. The boys got as near as they dared, keeping the 
stern of the boat to the raft. I crawled to the edge of the 
raft, and as she rose to the waves I jumped. The boys 
afterwards said that when they saw me in the air they 
w^ere sure I was coming into the boat on top of them. I 
struck the water just at the stern of the boat and grabbed 
the gunwale and held it with a sure grasp and sang out 
to the boys to 

" Stretch to their oars for the evergreen pine," 

or the raft would be on top of boat and all. The man a 
the stern pulled me in and I breathed freely once more. I 
really believe the others were more frightened than myself. 
However, I felt that I never had had a closer call, and 
fully made up my mind then and there that if I was spared 
that trip I would leave sailing and rafting to others that 
understood the business better than I did. 

The squall did not cease for half an hour, then it dropped 
as quickly as it rose, but not until our raft was a wreck, 
when we pulled ashore and camped for the night. The 
next morning we patrolled along the shore and picked up 
a great number of poles which had washed upon the 



A BOAT ADVENTURE. 409 

beach, and were all day mustering them and putting them 
together, and at last brought into port and sold out the 
remnant of our original cargo of lumber. There was not 
a member of our lumbering firm but had had enough of 
the timber trade or boating on Lake Waktepac. We put 
up our boat to be raffled for by fifty ticket-holders at two 
pounds each, the members of our lumber company holding 
each one's share. Here my luck stood me in once more, 
when I won the prize, having thrown the highest number. 
Now I had some visible means of livelihood and support — 
some tangible property and estate — something on the face 
of the earth subject, at least, to taxation — property — this 
world's goods, long hankered after. 

Down at the foot of the lake another town had sprung 
up, called Providence, where some gold had been obtained 
in the surrounding mountains, and I determined to try 
my luck there. A man named Hager, I think, a Canadian 
from Hamilton, Ontario, or near there, and myself started 
for the place in my boat. And now I had another adventure 
in that boat. The wind was in our favor, being astern, 
our blanket sails spread, when a squall struck us within 
three miles of our destination. The waves ran almost 
mountain high and the whole town was out to see us land, 
or rather see us thrown ashore. Down we came with 
the rushing of the wind and wave, for we could not do 
otherwise. As good luck would have it, it was a sand 
beach, and a wave carried us in and landed us high and dry. 
We got out as though nothing had happened, or as 
though that was our accustomed style of landing, and 
with the help of the spectators pulled our boat out further 



410 IN THE WILDERNESS WITH HAGER. 

upon the sandy beach. They had expected to see us 
washed back by the waves and our boat upset. I now 
firmly resolved that this should be my last appearance 
as a sailor on the high seas of Lake Waktepac. 

Like all new towns in those excitable times, one can 
find plenty ready to go into a raffle, so that night I put 
up my boat to be raffled for, and it was won by a man 
who had his name down on the list of "stockholders," 
but had not paid for his "stock;" so I took the boat 
around and left it in charge of a business man named 
Colton, whom I had known in Victoria, with instruction 
to deliver it to the winner when he paid the two pounds. 
I left with Hager the same morning on a prospecting tour, 
and we were gone about two weeks. We wandered on and 
on without satisfactory results until our provisions were 
exhausted, having eaten the last morsel before setting out 
on our return, and never thinking we had got so faraway. 
We walked all day carrying our blankets and tools on 
our backs, and just at dark came out to where we knew 
we were still twenty-five miles from Providence, and no 
chance of getting anything to eat until we arrived there. 
We had heard there was an old fellow by the name of 
Trotter, a " squatter, " or station man nearby, who would 
neither give nor sell anything to a digger, for many of 
those old primitive squatters felt very sore, not to say 
indignant at the diggers coming into the country. We 
held a consultation, and while doing so we heard the 
bleating of sheep not more than a mile distant. They 
run in flocks of two or three thousand. We went down 
to where they were without a shepherd, old Trotter being 



SLAUGHTERS TROTTEr's SHEEP. 411 

too stingy to keep one. I told Hager to go around on 
the other side and drive them up, knowing by the way 
they were heading that they w^ere sure to run between 
two big rocks, and when he saw them going through to 
reach for one of the hind ones, and I would plant myself 
behind the rocks and rush out and catch one. We soon 
had a good, fine fat one, which we were not long in dress- 
ing. Our greatest difficulty now was to procure fuel for 
cooking, but we succeeded in gathering a sort of coarse 
bush. I think they call it morley bush, which, when dry, 
is a good substitute for wood. There is no difficulty in 
New Zealand in getting a thin, flat stone, not thicker 
than a clapboard, which will stand any amount of heat 
without breaking, and on one of these we cooked our 
mutton, eating the same without salt or pepper, and were 
satisfied. 

The next morning w^e breakfasted on the same and were 
ready for a start, the only perplexity being the idea of 
having to leave so much good mutton unconsumed. There 
w^as a law in New Zealand that one could not be prose- 
cuted when one was, as we were, in a famishing condition, 
for killing a sheep, as long as he took only what he could 
eat; but if he moved or carried any away with him, he was 
then subject to the law. Mutton was worth thirty-seven 
cents a pound, even in that land where flocks were counted 
by thousands. It was a pity, I thought, to leave so much 
good mutton behind, so I cutoff the legs with our hatchet,, 
rolled the remainder in the blankets, determined to carry 
it along, very much against Hager's inclination. 

We started, but had not traveled more than two miles 



412 MEETS LORD TROTTER FACE TO FACE. 

before we saw a horseman coming towards us. "There 
comes old Trotter," said Hager; "what shall we do with 
our sheep?" "Let him come, "said I ; "he can't whip two 
of us, and I doubt if he can one." As he came nearer we 
saw, sure enough, it was my lord Trotter, the great 
squatter of the domain; one of the "Shepherd Kings" 
of the island, like unto such as once established a dynasty 
in Egypt. As soon as he was near enough we approached 
him with a bold front, saluted him, and bade him good 
morning. I pulled off my blankets and mutton, threw 
them on the ground, took out my pipe and filled it, took 
a seat on my blankets and mutton, and struck up a con- 
versation w^ith him — telling him where we had been, the 
poor success we had had, and where we were going. He 
remained with us some twenty minutes; enquired if we had 
seen any sheep on our route. We gave him the desired in- 
formation, but took good care 'not to direct him so he 
would go near where we camped the night before. 

[This mutton story got out and traveled over seven 
hundred miles, to Melbourne, and when Ferguson returned 
there it was told by his genial friends on public occasions, 
wnth many additions and embellishments, to his expense 
of many boxes of cigars. The substance of the stor^^, as 
there told, w^as that Ferguson stole a sheep and w^as 
caught by the lordly proprietor just as he was in the act 
qf cutting its throat ; that, being threatened with prose- 
cution, he straightened up and deliberately wiping his 
bloody knife, looked the owner straight in the eye and 
sternly replied : "Do you think I would let any damned 
sheep bite me?" — Editor.] 



CONTEST FOR A BOAT. 413 

Upon arriving at Providence I found that Colton had 
lent the boat for a few hours, and it had not been returned. 
The man who won it in the raffle had sent the person 
around, taking that method of getting possession without 
paying the two pounds. I was not long in going to where 
the boat was moored and took it back to Colton's. Upon 
landing I was met by the man and a crowd of eight or ten 
persons. He demanded the boat. I refused to let him 
have it unless he paid me the money he owed me. This he 
refused, saying at the same time he would take the boat 
and thrash the ground with me also. The crowd being 
mostly strangers, I explained to them how matters stood, 
telling them if he paid me the money he was welcome to 
the boat, but unless he did he should not have it. I saw 
at once I had gained a point among .the respectable por- 
tion of the bystanders, and that gave me courage. He 
came up to take the ''painter" out of my hand. He was 
surprised to find himself very suddenly laid on his back, 
but he was not long in coming up again. This time I 
caught him, and giving him a whirl, sent him into the 
lake. Where wq were that moment the shore was rather 
bluff, and the water was over his head. I thought, by his 
actions, he could not swim, and I caught hold of him and 
pulled him out. He thought I was going to hold him 
there and he begged for his life, promising to pay me if I 
would let him out. The bounce was all taken out of him. 
He borrowed the money of one of his friends, paid me and 
took the boat. That is the last boat I ever owned or 
probably ever shall. I had had enough of prospecting in 
New Zealand — never having dug out one ounce of gold in 
the province — and returned to Dunedin. 



414 NEW ZEALAND CLIMATE — RETURN TO VICTORIA. 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 

Butchering in New Zealand — The Natives — Cannibal Memories- 
Returning TO Melbourne— Sickness— Sons of Freedom Company 
— Colonies Described — Botany Bay Convicts— Tasmania — Cap- 
ture of Buckley — Birds and Animals— Natives — The Boomerang 
— Lost Children— Trackers— Rabbits— Churches — Education- 
Parliament — Products and Commerce. 

HERE at Dunedin an opening presented itself— which I 
thought favorably of— to embark in the butchering 
business, at a place about fifteen miles out of town. Meat 
was selling ateighteenpence a pound, or one shilling retail. 
I had a good chance to buy cattle cheap from the shippers, 
as in shipping some get crippled and cannot be driven, and 
such I bought, and was generally able to double my money. 
I followed the business about six months. The climate of 
New Zealand, especially in and around Dunedin, is cold and 
damp, with very heavy fogs, sometimes lasting the entire 
day. I contracted the asthma, which laid me prostrate, 
and was compelled by reason thereof to return to Victoria. 
New Zealand was first only a whaling port. Wellington 
is the capital. The first immigrants were principally Scotch, 
and they had much trouble with the natives, or Maories, a 
race akin to the Malays, of dark brown complexion, trim 
built, tall and possessing considerable intellectual bright- 



MAORI WARFARE. 415 

ness. The first serious outbreak was, I think, in 1850. 
British soldiers were called upon to put them down, but 
soon found they had a more difficult job than they had an- 
ticipated. The Ninetj^-ninth regiment was almost anni- 
hilated by the Maories, who fought in ambush. A peace 
was finally patched up which lasted some ten or twelve 
years, when the Maories again became dissatisfied. This 
time the Twelfth and Fortieth regiments were sent to 
put them down, but found they had undertaken more than 
they had bargained for. The British soldiers are brave in 
battle — perhaps there are none more so when they can meet 
their foe face to face as warriors on the field — but they are 
disciplined, and are like a piece of machinery — if one part 
goes wrong, all is wrong. They cannot fight and skulk, 
and that is the method of Maori warfare. In 1863 they 
undertook to drive the Maories out of their stronghold, or 
pah, as the Maories call it. They met with a fierce resist- 
ance and were attacked on all sides, the Maories fighting 
in ambush. The soldiers became panic-stricken and broke, 
and then followed a most barbarous slaughter of British 
soldiers. 

The New Zealand government now called for volunteers,, 
raw recruits, offering each volunteer eighty acres of land, 
five shillings a day and found, to fight the Maories. 
Soon men enough were enrolled and under arms to swamp 
all the tribes of the country, and being raw recruits, to the 
manor born, and subject to no restraints of military pride 
and discipline of the professional British soldier, they fought 
the natives after their own style, and reduced them to 



416 MAORIES— TATTOOING. 

obedience and order. There has since been occasionally a 
threatened outbreak, which has been nipped in the bud. 

A great portion of New Zealand is mountainous and 
rough, having the appearance of a marine origin, and as 
having been thrown up out of the waters, which were 
gathered together and called seas in the hurried momenis 
of the six days of creation, and which the harrow of time 
has been unable to smooth down. It is subject to earth- 
quakes, for I felt no less than three in the short time I was 
there. Portions of the country are the very best of agri- 
cultural land, especially in the northern and middle islands. 
The southern island is well timbered, and the principal 
product lumber. The northern has a mild climate and is 
verv healthy, while the middle and southern are cold, damp 
and foggy, which I don't admire. The settlers are the 
same as those of the northern island — the canny Scot — 
looking out for the sixpence. When the diggings broke out 
they were at a loss how much to charge for an article, but 
never in my experience did I fall in with one that failed to 
charge enough. 

TheMaories are as fine-looking a race of people as I ever 
saw, except by the manner in which they make themselves 
hideous by their fashion of tattooing themselves. They 
w^ere once cannibals, and there are some alive to-day who 
in their youthful days feasted on human flesh, and when 
the " oldest inhabitants " get together now, they talk over 
the good old times, before civilization came in to interfere 
with the rights of the people, when fragrant soups and 
tender cutlets were made from the bodies of prisoners of 
war, and delicious steaks were cut from the body of the 



woods' point— gold-bearing rivers. 417 

hapless missionary. They used to keep their captive foes 
as a farmer kept a flock of sheep — to fatten and kill when 
wanted, especial!}^ for the occasion of the cannibal 
Thanksgiving day. But they do things differently in New 
Zealand now. To say they are an industrious people 
would be saying too much, although they work at farm- 
ing and other occupations ; yet they are never known to 
hurt themselves with work. They are civil, and when 
well treated are hospitable and kind. Their color is about 
the cast of our North American Indians, but they have 
nothing near the energetic spirit and action of our Indians 
on the western plains. There are but a very few^ natives 
in the Middle island now. At a place called Tokomoria, 
about twenty miles from Dunedin, a few families alone 
remain. Wellington, Nelson and Auckland are the princi- 
pal cities on the North island, and Dunedin and Invakargle 
on the Middle island. 

Upon my arrival in Melbourne I consulted Dr. Gilbey, 
w^ho advised me to quit the city and make for the ranges. 
I took his advice and started for Woods' Point. This por- 
tion of the country had undergone a great change since I 
had been there two years before. It was then one of the 
roughest parts of Victoria. There was only now and then 
a camp of diggers. The place was opened up by one 
Harry Woods, an American, who had much difficulty in 
getting in and out through the dense thicket of scrub. It 
is a hilly country on the headwaters of the Gouldbourne 
river, just on the divide, where the waters run each way, 
one into a tributary of the Murray, which runs through 
the interior and empties into the ocean at Adelaide, South 



418 GIPPS' LAND RANGES AND REEFS. 

Australia; the other into the head of the Yarra Yarra, 
which empties into Port Phillip, three miles south of Mel- 
bourne. All these tributaries are gold-bearing, and have 
been worked more or less, and some have proved very rich. 
Then there are numerous other streams which empty into 
the Thomson and Avon rivers, tributaries to the Gipps' 
Land lakes, likewise rich in gold. Further north is the 
Crooked river, the Wangongaree and the Dargo, forming 
the Mitchel, which also empties into that chain of lakes, 
and all of which are gold-bearing. This wild, mountainous 
and woody country has an area of some three hundred 
miles, and is one hundred in length. Here are the richest 
quartz reefs in Australia, among them the Woods' Point 
reef. Stringer's Creek reef and many others. In the last- 
named creek is Walhalla reef, also the Long Tunnel. Prob- 
ably more gold has been extracted from these two reefs 
than from any other two reefs in the world — the Long 
Tunnel having produced over one million ounces of smelted 
gold or forty-one tons in round numbers. Walhalla was 
its rival in production ; besides, there were many others 
very rich. Upon all these reefs were erected very large, 
extensive and costly machines, all of the most modern 
style. 

Reefs are now being opened all through the Gipps' Land 
ranges, and it is my opinion that gold mining in that part 
of Australia is still (1887) in its infancy, though numerous 
very rich reefs have been opened up within the last five 
years, and others being almost daily discovered. When I 
first went to this part of the country it had been opened 
onl}' a short time, and the mining was confined to 



GORDON, DARGO AND OMAO DIGGINGS. 4<19 

alluvial diggings, the miners never thinking it would ever 
be possible to get machinery up there to work the quartz 
reefs, for its roughness was something frightful, besides 
being almost impenetrable for the scrub, which literally tore 
one's clothing into rags. There are also magnificent forests 
of the tallest and finest trees in the world. In the Dan- 
dinong range are trees that are admitted to be the largest 
and finest splitting timber in any country. I have seen a 
mountain ash felled and split into palings or weather 
boards for houses, over one hundred and fifty feet from the 
stump to the first limb. 

The Gordon creek and also the B B creek were very rich 
in alluvial gold, and many a heart-sick and care-worn 
digger, who had nearly given up all hope of ever making a 
rise in the world, got a good start there, which enabled him 
to purchase a farm and settle down for the remainder of 
his days in peace and quietness in his adopted country. 
Further on up Crooked river there came news of large 
discoveries. A prospecting party had been sent out by 
the government, which found Pioneer reef which promised 
to surpass all others in richness and brought thousands to 
the Crooked, myself amongthem. This was one of the most 
€xcited rushes that had ever been in the country. Thou- 
sands of capitalists came from Melbourne, Sydney and from 
all the islands of Australasia to invest, in hopes to make their 
thousands by laying out their hundreds. It is hardly 
necessary to say that many of them dropped their 
hundreds but never picked up their thousands. I remained 
here upon the Crooked, Dargo and Omao diggings for 
nearly a year, speculating in claims, buying and selling, 



420 GIPrs' LAND LAKES— SONS OF FREEDOM. 

and keeping prospectors out searching for fresh reefs. 
Sometimes this paid well — other times a dead failure, 
according to the men I happened to select. I have made 
as much as four hundred pounds in one week— that is, 
speaking of what one makes, like a gambler, but not say- 
ing a word about losses. 

After leaving the Crooked and that district I went 
to Boggy creek, some eighty miles distant, and near the 
Gipps' Land lakes. Here, with some others, I opened a 
reef and christened it "Sons of Freedom." We had great 
expectations, but were doomed to disappointment after 
erecting machinery — not that the reef was worthless, but 
the shareholders, or most of them, were inexperienced and 
wanted to make a fortune quick, and, like many who have 
entered a new enterprise, soon came to think they knew 
more how to manage it than those who had been in like 
business for years. By having a few such people in a com- 
pany it is sure to fail, as the Sons of Freedom did. I can 
give no better proof of mj^ assertion than to say that the 
same reef is now working under the same name, reorgan- 
ized by other parties, and is paying good dividends. 

This in a great measure closed my mining career. I had 
invested money in only a few, and that rather in a small 
way, and the probabilities are that at this late day I shall 
never be a partner in another such enterprise, though I 
would not like to make any positive promise, for gold min- 
ing affects the mind like gambling— one commences, but 
never knows when he is going to quit. There is something 
so infatuating about it, one finds it almost impossible to 
quit. I would almost as soon hear of a friend of mine be- 



ADVICE — STICK TO THE OLD HOMESTEAD. 421 

coming a confirmed gambler as a confirmed gold mining 
speculator, for there is no knowing where it will end. Per- 
haps one in a hundred will make a hit, but not more. So 
far as chances are concerned for "miners' luck," I would 
as soon invest in the Louisiana lottery as in gold mining. 
I think the chances about equal, not that I would advise 
anyone to invest in a lotter}^ for that is a species of 
gambling, and gold prospecting and mining are akin to it, 
your chances being one to one hundred against you. No, 
young man, I would advise you to stick to your farm or 
your trade, stand by the old homestead where 3'ou were 
born, or make a new one for yourself and wnfein your own 
country of freedom and personal independence, remember- 
ing the old saying that "A rolling stone gathers no moss."^ 
Yet you will doubtless offset the above maxim by another 
that is as old as the pyramids — "A setting hen gathers no 
fat." Therefore, upon due consideration, I do not know 
w^hat is best for my young friends individually, and will 
leave each to be governed by the promptings of his nature, 
modified by the controlling power of a thoughtful mind- 
Follow your own inclination as I did, for that you w^ill be 
sure to do, as I did, and so will every boy. If he is inclined 
to be a lawyer, there is no use in trying to make a clergy- 
man of him ; so of one who is bound to travel, you cannot 
keep him at home. 

In attempting to give in my own way a slight idea of the 
different colonies of Australia, it must be borne in mind 
that it is altogether from memory, having never kept a 
diary ; but whatever of discrepancy or errors maybe found 
will relate to dates, or possibly the misspelling of wild, 



422 BOTANY BAY— SCENERY AND SETTLEMENT. 

strange and queer names of persons — native people — and 
of places that in my time in the country had no fixed name, 
and even now have no place on any map. New South 
Wales, the first English colony, of which Sydney is the cap- 
ital, was founded in 1788, just one hundred years ago. 
The famous Botany bay is on the eastern coast, being the 
first port entered. Afterwards Port Jackson was found to 
be a safer harbor, and England sent her convicts there for 
the purpose of colonization. The port is only seven miles 
north of the old Botany landing, and is one of the most 
beautiful harbors in the world for its scenery from the 
ships as thev enter, and for safety when enclosed there. 
Tiie heads which sweep around and enclose the ba}' are 
only seven miles from the city , Sydney, being two bold prom- 
ontories, standing out in relief against the rising sun, and 
between which is a glimpse of the great ocean beyond. 

The countr\' around the city w^as soon occupied by 
squatters, as the convict immigrants were called, many tak- 
ing up large tracts of territory, some going far into the in- 
terior andengagingin sheep farming on a large scale, some 
of them soon becoming the owners of flocks of from thirty 
thousand to one hundred thousand sheep. Such surprising 
flocks almost demonstrate the truth related of the Spanish 
ambassador and the prime minister of the king of Persia. 
The ambassador boasted to the minister that the wealth 
of his master, the king of Spain, was so vast tlfat he had 
a flock of three thousand sheep. The oriental replied 
that his master had three thousand shepherds. 

For help, the squatters had only to apply to the 
government and get prisoners consigned to them for the 



"government men"— "squatters." 423 

Taare consideration of their food and clothing. If a pris- 
oner got a good report of his conduct, he, after serving 
half his time, had what is called a ticket of leave given 
him, which almost made him free ; he had only to report 
himself to the nearest police station once a quarter, or if 
he wished to leave that portion of the district to which he 
had been previously consigned, he had to get a permit — 
otherwise his time was his own and all he earned. If he 
was unruly and his master disliked him, he was reported 
and another obtained in his place. Many of the prisoners 
were sent out as much for the purpose of settling and 
populating the country, as for the actual offense the}' had 
committed. So taking the Sydney or Botany Bay convicts, 
or "Sages, "as they called themselves, the}-- were not, as a 
general rule, so hard a lot as one would naturally expect 
to find in a country largely peopled by convicts. Many 
were really first-class men — political prisoners merely. 

When I arrived in the colonies I found many of the 
wealthiest squatters, owners of vast domains, station men 
in the interior, transported for their country's good, or 
rather for the good of rival politicians in England. One of 
the richest merchants of Sydney, and most of the squatters 
on Hunter river, w^ere "government men" originally. There 
w^ere others, of course, that were nothing and never would 
be in any country on the globe, no matter what opportu- 
nities for a useful life might be given them. The ambition 
of such never rose higher than shepherding, or sheep- 
shearing, which latter, b}^ the way, was a very paying busi- 
ness in its season. 

For some twenty years after the first settlement of Syd- 



424 TASMANIA — ITS TIMBER. 

ney no other colony was organized. Then Van Diemen's 
Land, now called Tasmania, was established as a penal, 
colony. This island, lying south of the Australian conti- 
nent about one hundred miles distant from it, received 
quite a different grade of prisoners from those early sent 
to Botany Bay or Sydney, most of them being of the des- 
perate class. The island is pretty respectable in size, being 
about two hundred miles square, and which is very nearly 
its shape. Hobart is the oldest town. Launceston has 
become its rival of late. The island has had several little 
gold excitements, but they never amounted to much. It 
is very productive in wheat, and, in fact, all kinds of grain. 
At the first gold rush in Victoria they depended almost 
entirely upon Tasmania for produce, for there were no 
vegetables raised either in Victoria or New South Wales, 
consequently the market had to be supplied from Hobart, 
or Adelaide in South Australia. The southern part of Tas- 
mania is heavily timbered with the eucalyptus, commonly 
called the blue gum. They grow ujDon the Ewin ri^^er to an 
almost incredible height and size. A peculiarity in the 
growth of these trees is that they are all hollow at the 
butt up some thirty feet, then perfectly sound for one hun- 
dred and thirty to one hundred and fifty feet. The lumber- 
men, or splitters, as they are called, erect a scaffold and 
cut the tree above the hollow. It is a very free, straight- 
grained timber, admirable for splitting into paling — a sort 
of clapboard used in house-building. I have seen trees 
that cut into twenty-four logs of six feet in length split 
into paling. These trees are often six feet in diameter at 
the solid part of the trunk thirty feet from the ground. 



POLITICAL PRISONERS. 425 

Tasmania has one of the finest macadamized roads in 
the world between Hobart and Launceston, a distance of 
one hundred and forty miles. It was constructed by 
prison labor, and as flogging was then allowed, it was 
said by the prisoners that there was a lash to every stone 
laid in the road. How true that is I cannot say, but I 
have seen the backs of many prisoners that bore a strik- 
ing resemblance to the back of a crocodile from the blows 
of the flagellant. There is no doubt but that the prisoners 
were badly and harshly treated, but human sympath^^ is 
lost when it is considered that most of them were of the 
most debased and cruel specimens of the human form, 
and would take a man's life for a plug of tobacco, and 
had done it many times. Many of the worst make their 
escape, get out into the bush and become outlaws. Many 
^re the blood-curdling accounts related of those desper- 
adoes. One of the most notorious was Jack Donohough. 
I have often been amused in listening to some of the 
"old hands" singing, with tears streaming down their 
cheeks, the trials and troubles of the "Bold Jack Dona- 
hough." 

It was from this island that Thomas Francis Maher 
made his escape in 1852, followed by John Mitchel the 
next year. It was a subject of pretty lively and interest- 
ing conversation for a season, but I doubt if there was 
a man, woman or child in Tasmania that did not rejoice 
at their escape. At an earlier time it was found necessary 
to remove some of the worst criminals to another island — 
Norfolk — of which I have before given an account. In 
1853 they were removed back to make room for the Pit- 



426 SOUTH AND WEST COLONIES. 

liin islanders, who had become so numerous that it was 
necessary to shift a portion of them, for that island is 
small, only about two miles square. In the same year 
the free people rebelled against further importation of 
convicts, and England was compelled by force of popular 
sentiment to abandon her penal system in that regard, 
and for thirty-five years the Australian colonies have been 
relieved of that curse. 

Adelaide, or South Australia, as it is now called, was 
settled later than New South "Wales, and never was a 
penal colony. The inhabitants were largely German and 
followed agricultural pursuits, and at the time of the 
gold rush the other colonies depended upon Adelaide for 
flour. There never has been any important gold discov- 
eries in South Australia, but some ver^^ rich copper mines 
have been opened. The Bura Bura mine is rich in very 
pure ore, the percentage being very high. But copper 
was cast into the shade by the gold discoveries in the 
neighboring colonies, and was lost sight of for a season. 
In the early days the continent was divided into two 
equal parts — New South Wales and Adelaide — but later 
it has been cut up into five different colonies. Western 
Australia was taken off from South, or Adelaide, and here 
England exiles her political offenders, but no others. In 
1850 Victoria vv^as carved out of New South Wales, 
Melbourne being the capital. Victoria was first settled 
by the Honorable John Faulkner, who came from Hobart, 
Tasmania, in 1836, some fifteen j^ears before the gold 
discovery. He brought with him a large party and 
located where now is Melbourne. Another party, about 



BUCKLEY, THE WILD WHITE MAN. 427 

the same time, lead by one Brady, settled at Geelong, a 
few miles distant, where there is a hill named after him 
three miles out of town. Soon after the arrival of one of 
these parties, I do not know which, while out one day they 
saw some of the black natives, and one among them they 
took to be a white man, who seemed to be equally as wild 
as the blacks, and nothing would induce either to come 
near, but stood off and gazed with both curiosity and 
fear. If the party approached them they would retire, the 
white man with the rest, to a safe distance. The next 
day they came around the same as before, and a party 
of horsemen ran them down and brought the white man 
into camp. In 1804 a penal ship landed in Port Phillip 
bay and made a commencement towards starting a penal 
colony near Geelong. They used to take the prisoners 
ashore during the day to work, taking them back to the 
ship at night. One day three prisoners managed to 
escape. Their plan was to keep up the coast and make 
Sydney about seven hundred miles distant. They traveled 
for some days, living on opossums, when one of them re- 
pented and made up his mind to return. The other two 
would not return with him, and that was the last ever 
known of them. The third man, who sought to return 
to the ship, but never saw it again, was the man captured 
among the natives. His name was Buckley, and he told 
the following story : 

"When I got back to the camp, no one can imagine my 
feelings on finding that the camp was struck and the ship 
had left the ba\% the officer having changed his plan and 
sailed to Hobart, in Tasmania, and started the colony there. 



428 Buckley's statement. 

Then I went back and tried to find my other mates, but 
never found them or heard or saw any signs of them after- 
wards. I wandered around for many days and weeks, but 
never fell in with anyone, there being at that time of the 
year no blacks or natives camping in thepart of the country 
I was in. After I had wandered around until I was nearly 
dead, I came one daj- upon a fresh mound, which proved 
to be a grave. The blacks have a custom of burying all 
the implements of war belonging to the deceased in his 
grave, except his spear, which they leave sticking up in the 
mound. Seeing the spear, I pulled it out and used it for a 
staff to help me in walking, for I was footsore and nearly 
•exhausted from starvation and fatigue. I had not gone 
far before I came upon a camp of blacks. It was the 
family of the dead chief. Upon seeing me and the spear 
they had left sticking in the grave, they at once came to 
the conclusion that I was their dead chief, and had come 
forth a white man. They received me with all the mani- 
festations of friendship, as though I was indeed the old 
chief himself" [The blacks have a superstition which 
many think was derived from the circumstance of Buckle^^'s 
coming among them in the way he did, believing that when 
a black man tumbles down dead, he is resurrected a white 
man.] He remained with them thirty-two years before 
the whites captured him, and when first caught he had 
forgotten all his English. Upon showing him bread, he 
took it in his hand, looked at it for a longtime and handed 
it back, seeming to think and ponder, and said, "Bread." 
This was the only word he could remember, but he soon 
picked up the language again. He lived for many years 



SETTLEMENT OF THE COLONIES. 429 

afterwards. The government gave him his pardon and a 
small pension. I remember seeing him soon after my ar- 
rival in the colony. He died some time in the sixties. 

There was said to be another similar case of a sailor, 
shipwrecked and cast ashore on the northern coast of 
Queen's island, who claimed to have been among the 
blacks seventeen years. He related that the captain, his 
wife, himself and three others were the only ones saved out 
of the whole ship'screw; that they lived amongthe blacks, 
who kept watch over them for fear of their escaping; that 
they all died off one by one, until he alone was left. He 
said the captain's wife was the last that died before his 
rescue. Those who have seen the party, regard his story 
with the same confidence as the well-authenticated and 
truthful relation of the case of Buckley. 

Victoria was not long in settling up after the wealthy 
Tasmanians began to come over. They leased large runs 
or ranges and stocked them with sheep and cattle, so that 
sixteen years afterwards, when the gold fields were opened, 
the colony was well prepared for a rush, at least in 
supplying the influx of population with beef and mutton. 
Adelaide, or South Australia, however, came in for her 
share of the profits with her flour, and Tasmania got her 
portion with her excellent vegetables. About 1860 Queens- 
land separated from New South Wales, making Brisbane 
its capital, which, with Rockhampton, are its principal 
cities. This colony is situated in the northeast portion of 
the continent, and embraces more territory than New 
South Wales and Victoria combined. It is principallj' a 
cattle country, having some of the largest ranges on the 



430 EMU — KANGAROO— BOTTLE TREE. 

continent. Some attention has been paid to the growing 
of sugar-cane, but to what extent and with what success, 
as an industry, I am unable to state. There is a great deal 
of mining carried on along the coast range of mountains, 
both in gold and other metals. One of the richest quartz 
reefs in the world, the Mt. Morgan mine, is in Queens-^ 
land, where two of my most intimate friends have made 
a goodly fortune within the last five years. Western Aus- 
tralia separated from Adelaide or South Australia about 
1868, Perth being its capital. This is likewise an immense 
sheep country, and it is but in the natural course of the 
history of social institutions that a few hundred years hence 
the blue-blood aristocrat of Australia, the duke and the 
dude, the count and the no-account will claim descent, not 
from Saxon kings or Norman conquerors, but from the 
shepherd kings of the ocean continent. There are some 
political exiles here, and some ten years ago there was 
quite an excitement about an American vessel taking off 
two of these prisoners. The government officials pre- 
tended to make considerable stir about it, but it was 
believed to be all for appearance' sake, as there was not. 
in my opinion, one person in the colony that was not 
glad they got away. These are all the present divisions 
or colonies of Australia. The out-lying islands, especially 
New Zealand and Tasmania, are separate colonies. Touch- 
ing the flora and the fauna of the country, I have mostly 
alluded to the timber trees and forests. Of animals, the. 
kangaroo is the leading animal, being the largest. The 
emu is the monster bird, akin to the ostrich. The most 
curiously formed tree is the "Bottle Tree," represented in 




431 



432 ABORIGINKS DYING OFF. 

the cut. New Zealand has no four-footed animals native 
to the island. Like the chapter on snakes in the facetious 
history of Ireland which ran thus — "chapter x. Snakes 
— Ireland has no Snakes " — so the ivsland is destitute of the 
quadruped, except the pig, introduced by Captain Cook, 
now just one hundred years ago, and which has multiplied 
into herds and "mobs" of thousands. 

The aborigines, or black fellows, as they are called, are sim- 
ilar in all the provinces and outward islands of Australia. 
When the country was first colonized they were very 
numerous in all parts, but never in any country have the 
native blacks diminished by their contact with civilization 
as in Australia. In Tasmania they are totally extinct ; the 
last one died some ten j^ears ago. The many tribes 
throughout the other colonies are fast dying off. Some 
that I knew thirty-five years ago, then numbering hun- 
dreds, are now almost extinct. Much of this mortality is 
owing to their indolent habits and neglect in raising their 
young. I would class them as being of the lowest grade 
of humanity— low in stature, small limbs, very black eyes 
sunk deep in the head, low forehead, nose flat and spread 
widely over the face, coarse lips, and their skull is said to 
be more than twice as thick as a white man's. About the 
only art they excel in is the use of the boomerang. It is 
crescent shaped, or more, perhaps, like the felloes to a 
wagon wheel. It is about two feet, eight inches in length, 
two and three-fourth inches in width, and about one- 
third of an inch in thickness. Both the inside and outside 
are brought down to a fine edge, something like the old. 
fashioned wooden knife that dairymen used years ago for 



THE BOOMERANG — SHIELD AND SPEAR. 433 

cutting up curd in the cheese tub. Now for the skill in 
throwing them. I have seen a black fellow take one in one 
hand and throw it. It would revolve along the ground 
for a distance of two hundred feet or more, then sud- 
denly rise up in the air about the same number of feet, and 
then return, increasing in its velocit}^ as it came back until 
one could see only a blur in the air, and fall at the feet of 
the thrower. At another time he would throw it in the air 
and it would return to him in the same manner. They are 
used more for killing game, such as opossums, ducks and 
kangaroos, than as an implement of warfare. Their use 
is confined to the black alone, as I never saw a white who 
could use one with any accuracy ; he could throw one but 
could never tell where it would land or when it w^ould 
return. Their implements of war are very simple. They 
consist of two clubs, one called the Wadda-Wadda, the 
other Nella-Nella, a spear and a shield. The spear is about 
seven feet long and about one inch thick, made of the 
hardest and toughest wood that can be found. The 
Wadda-Wadda is about two feet long with a knot upon 
each end cut in grooves. The Nella-Nella is much the same. 
They are used in a hand to hand fight, the combatants 
standing close together and warding off the blows with 
the shield which they hold with one hand while they "lay 
on, McDuff " with the other. The shield is about three feet 
long, with a hand holder cut in the middle, where it is 
about five inches wide, tapering down at each end. The 
surface towards the enemj^ is checked with fine notches so 
that it will shiver to pieces the spear that strikes it instead 
of glancing off. An expert black will stand off at a dis- 



434? EXPERTS— TRACKERS— LOST CHILDREN. 

tance of twenty feet and allow two men to throw stones 
at him of the size of a hen's egg as fast as they like for a 
sixpence, he warding them off with a shield. Another gift 
in which they excel is that of a tracker. They will take a 
track several days old and follow it up without the 
slightest difficulty, where, to all appearance to a white man, 
there is not a sign of a footstep of man or animal. They 
are often employed to track criminals. In one instance the 
government sent for the Queensland blacks to come to 
Victoria to track the notorious Kelley Brothers' gang, 
a partv of desperadoes which had harassed the govern- 
ment for nearly two years, to its cost of some sixty thou- 
sand pounds. 

Another instance of their wonderful tracking instincts 
which has been handed down in the legends of the country 
from the last century, is that of the "Three Lost Children," 
whose names were Duff. Their father was employed on 
a station as shepherd, the mother acting as a hut keeper. 
The oldest of the three was a little girl of seven years, the 
second, five, and the youngest a little boy of three years. 
One day the mother sent them out to cut some scrub- 
broom, a bush growing there used to make brooms. She 
sent them as much perhaps to amuse them or get them 
out of the way for awhile as for the broom, as she did 
not miss them till evening. As they did not then return 
the father and mother both started to search for them, 
and spent the night looking in vain. In the morning the 
alarm was given at the station and all the hands em- 
plo3'ed turned out and searched that day with no success. 
The next day word was sent around for twenty miles 



LOST CHILDREN FOUND. 435 

but with no better result, until the whole country was 
out for fifty miles around. Upon the seventh day the 
black trackers came and at once took the track and fol- 
lowed it up without any difficult}^ telling what the 
children did here and there, where the oldest carried the 
little one, where she again set him down and where they 
slept. They followed the tracks all that day and until 
about three o'clock the second day, when they came upon 
the poor little things all cuddled up together. The young- 
est looked up so pitifully, and said, "Papa, bread," and 
sank back in a stupor. The oldest one had taken off her 
dress to wrap around the youngest to keep him warm, as 
she had done every night they had been out. The party 
had with them wine and food, in case they were found 
alive, and which was given them sparingly, when they 
were taken to the nearest hut until they had sufficiently 
recovered to be taken home. The little girl related that 
after cutting the broom and playing for a w^hile they 
started for what they supposed to be home, and traveled 
for a long while before they found they were going wrong. 
Then they undertook to retrace their steps, but darkness 
overtook them and they were obliged to camp. It was 
in the winter season and the night was cold. The little one 
cried, and the brave, considerate and self-sacrificing little 
girl took off her own dress to wrap her little brother in. 
They had thrown away the scrub. On th^ third day 
they came upon a place where they thought they 
cut the scrub and felt sure they were close home, 
and toiled on and on for five da^'s more, when, 
as the little girl said, they said their prayers and lay 



436 GENEROUS SUBSCRIPTION. 

down expecting to die there, when relief came at the last 
moment. The heroism of the little girl was sounded all 
through the colonies. A subscription was put in circu- 
lation and almost all the school children of the colonies 
contributed their mite, and the inhabitants of the cities 
and town swelled the fund to twenty-five thousand 
dollars, which was placed in trust for the Duff children, 
one-half to the little girl for her kindness to her little 
brother, and one quarter each to the other two. It seems 
almost incredible, but it is well authenticated that those 
little children trudged and toddled through that lonely 
wilderness in the seven daj's, here and there, back and 
forth, over seventy miles. The Australian school books 
contain the story of the Duff children. The black trackers 
were well rewarded for their services. One thing more 
they excel in, and that is in climbing. One will take a 
small hatchet in his hand and mereU' make an incision 
in the bark of a tree just large enough to ]nit in the end 
of his great toe, then change the hatchet to the other 
hand and cut another, and so on up until he reaches the 
top of the largest and tallest tree in the forest in a very 
short time. They are often hired for a small sum to climb 
a tree and cut off the limbs, and wnll go up the distance 
of a hundred feet or more, chop for an hour and then 
come down and have a resting spell, and then go back to 
w^ork, so little do they think of the ascent and descent. 
The blacks as a general rule have a lively dread of the 
law, which, doubtless, keeps them from stealing and other 
wrongful acquisitions of property through "cornering" 
the market, taking illegal interest or obtaining goods 



kingfishers' war (IN SNAKES. 437 

under false pretenses— that is to say, like many white^ 
civilized, miserly sharks, the\' are legall}^ honest. 

The birds of the Australian colonies are numerous. 
Some are gay and handsome in plumage, and nearly all 
families are social and lively. There is the white and black 
cockatoo. The former is the more numerous. These birds 
when \^oung, can very easily be taught to talk, or at least 
speak quite plainly a great many words. They go in flocks 
of thousands, and will drop down in a field of corn or 
wheat, and if not driven out will destroy acres in a few 
hours. There are several kinds of parrots, the blue mount- 
ain, the king and the Roselin, all of which can be taught 
to whistle or talk. The magpie is also a talking bird. 
There are two kinds of kingfishers. One has been knighted 
as the laughing jackal, both talking and singing birds. 
There is also a bird of the kingfisher species, but much 
larger, and there is a law prohibiting their destruction, 
owing to their warlike propensities against snakes. Some 
twenty or more will gather around his snakeship, and all 
will insult him by setting up a most boisterous and hideous 
laugh. The snake soon becomes confused, feels humiliated 
and would gladly retire, when, of a sudden, one will seize 
the snake in his beak and rise on the wing, until the snake 
gathers his batteries, when he will be dropped in the midst 
of his laughing enemies on the ground. But he no sooner 
strikes the earth than another bird "takes up the won- 
drous tail," and the entertainment is repeated until it ends 
in the death of the snake, and the "slime of the serpent is 
over them all." The laughter and scolding is kept up by 
the birds till death is manifest, when they retire upon their 



438 KANGAROO HUNTS. 

honors. There is also a pheasant, called the lyre-bird, very 
shy, cannot be tamed it is said. But they imitate all the 
birds of the forest, and even the native dog, or dingo, as 
it is called ; also the cracking of a whip, and the lowing of 
cattle. There are also many kinds of wild ducks, and the 
lakes and lagoons throughout the continent abound in black 
swan, and many species of pigeons, which comprise nearly 
all except the emu, which is the Australian ostrich. 

There probably is not another country in the world so 
destitute of a variety of native animals as Australia, the 
kangaroo being the largest and most numerous. I have 
seen them like great flocks of sheep. That was some 
twenty years ago ; since then almost every means has been 
resorted to for their destruction. People would turn out 
for miles around, form a circuit, drive them into a large 
yard and destro^^them all, only securing their hides, which 
make excellent shoes for women. They are of a timid or 
sheep-like nature, very fleet of foot, requiring the fleetest 
dogs to catch them, especially if the ground is a little de- 
scending. They never show fight except after they have 
been run down, when they will turn upon the dog, and if 
he is not an old hand at the business he will get the worst 
of it. There are not many dogs able to catch and kill one 
by himself. There is a class of dogs called "catchers and 
killers," the fleetest of which will run the animal down, 
stick him up, and then play around him until the stronger 
and less fleet dogs come up, and when the animal's atten- 
tion is on one, another will slip up and seize him bv the 
neck and pull him over, another will seize him by the leg, 



THE KANGAROO TRICK. 439 

while still another strangles him. It is no uncommon 
thing for a dog to get torn to pieces, for they have two 
large claws on each hind leg that will rip a dog open. 
"When they run they stand upright on their hind legs, their 
fore feet never touching the ground, only their hind feet 
and tail, from which they spring. When one is hard pressed, 
if there is a water-hole near by they will make for that, and 
as the dog comes up they will suddenly turn and seize him 
v^'ith their flappers, or fore paws, jumpinto the water with 
him, and hold him under and drown him. Some dogs are 
too smart for that trick, but another less experienced will 
rush up, only too soon to find himself a dead dog. The 
hair of the kangaroo is coarse and short and of a bluish 
gray. 

I remember once sitting vipon the bank of a stream 
about a hundred yards from the water, when presently 
down came a kangaroo with a dog close upon him, and 
suddenly turned upon his pursuer, but the dog dodged 
around, unable to get hold. Off some distance on the other 
side of the water and upon the same side of the kangaroo, 
there was a man named Carey, one of the curious and 
prying sort of men and a new-chum, as all new colonists 
are called. He walked straight up to where the dog and 
kangaroo were. We sat and looked on, expecting to see 
some fun, and never thinking of any harm to the man. 
But as soon as the kangaroo saw him he turned upon him, 
seized him around the body and both rolled into the water 
together, we looking on and laughing ready to split 
while the water was foaming and splashing. Pres- 



44-0 ENGLISH RABBITS. 

ently the water began to get quiet, and it began to dawnt 
upon our minds that possibly the kangaroo was a 
little too muckle for the man, and we started for the res- 
cue and did not get there an\^ too soon to save him, for I 
really believe he would have been dead in one minute 
more. I had a waddawith me, and with that I dispatched 
the kangaroo with one blow on the back of the head, for 
they are very easily killed — one tap on the back of the head 
or neck and they roll over. We soon pulled the man out. 
He was for a time insensible, but came to after a little 
shaking up. His curiosity to interview a kangaroo stuck 
up by a dog near a water-hole was satisfied for all time by 
that adventure. Oppossums are plenty ; also flying foxes, 
the native cat, the wombat, something like our badger 
onh'much larger, and the monkey-bear, a harmless animal 
who dines upon the gamon leaf. 

In 1856 one Mr. Austin, a squatter upon the Geelong 
side, imported some English rabbits. He thought he was 
doing the colony a great service to turn them loose and 
let them breed. The journals praised the generous act, but 
the}^ soon found out their mistake, as did Mr. Austin 
before he died, for they spread so fast that in less than ten 
vears they became a public nuisance, both to him and his 
neighbors. The duke of Edinburgh was invited out there 
to shoot rabbits, and it was a pity he did not shoot them 
all, as it would have been the means of saving the govern- 
ment fifty thousand pounds a year since, to say nothing 
of the cost to private persons, some of whom had to keep 
three or more hunters, at a cost often dollars a week, who 
had to help destroy the rabbits. The government offered 



CHURCHES AND SCHOOLS. 441 

largre rewards for the invention of some method to exter- 
minate them, but never found anyone able to discover a 
specific. I think the government of Victoria alone spends 
sixty thousand pounds per year, and still they spread, for 
they are now getting up into Queensland, more than fif- 
teen hundred miles from where they were first turned 
loose. The dingoes, or native dogs, are rather numerous in 
th^ unsettled parts, and are very destructive to sheep, 
and often to youngcalves. They are something like the red 
fox, only they don't possess the cunning attributed to him, 
and are sneaking and cowardly. They are becoming 
mixed with the domestic dog now and are possessed of 
more courage, which makes them bolder and more to be 
dreaded than the common dingo. I never heard of more 
than one or two instances of their attacking any person, 
and they were not the pure dingo, but half-breeds. They 
are being destroyed by thousands by poison. 

The religious and educational institutions of Australia 
do not differ much from those of our own country. The 
Roman Catholic church embraces the largest number of 
communicants or members ; the Wesleyan ranks next in 
membership; the Scotch or Presbyterian next; and the 
Episcopalian or Church of England fourth. There are 
some other denominations. There was, formed}', state aid 
totheextent of fifty thousand pounds, apportioned among 
the different denominations. 1 do not believe there is any 
other country where more attention is paid to education 
than in the Australian colonies. About 1871 the state 
took charge of educational affairs, making one national 
school and withdrawing the state aid to sectarian schools, 



442 COLONIAL PARLIAMENT. 

making one school free to all, on the secular principle, 
and compulsory to all over six and under fourteen j-^ears 
of age, unless the pupil held a certificate from the in- 
spector of schools that he or she had passed in all branches 
of common school education. The beauty of colonial 
law consists in the surety of its being enforced. There 
are no dead-letter laws there. 

Parliament is composed of the upper and lower house, 
the initials of which are M. L. C. and M. L. A. — Member 
of the Legislative Council and Member of the Legislative 
Assembly; the first being elected for three years, the 
second for ten years. As a description of the people and 
social institutions, I can think of no better way than 
for you to imagine yourself there, with a people whose 
manners, habits and customs are the same as they are 
sure to be wherever the English language is spoken, and 
the country populated from all nationalities, like the 
United States. Such is Australia. 

In 1856 Charles Ganon Duffey arrived in the colonies. 
He had been editor of the Irish Nation — had bsen arrested, 
tried for treason and was acquitted, and sailed for 
Australia where he was received with open arms. At that 
time the qualification act was in force, requiring a property 
qualification of two thousand poundsfor a mcml^er of par- 
liament. The required amount was raised and doubled 
within forty-eight hours, a seat was vacated in Delhousie 
and Duffey was returned a member — and a worthy one he 
ever proved to be, both for his constituents and thecolony. 
It was his act that unlocked the lands of Victoria, and he 
is now called the father of the Land act. He represented 



PRODUCTS AND COMMERCE. 443 

Delhousie twenty years, when he resigned, and his son 
succeeded him and represents that district now. He was 
knighted by the Queen and was subsequently returned tO' 
the house from North Gipps' Land and was elected 
speaker, which office he held until he returned to En- 
gland, having been twice a member of the cabinet and 
three years speaker. Peter Lalor succeeded to the speaker- 
ship of the Victorian parliament — the once leader of the 
Ballarat riot — the man for whom the government offered 
a thousand pounds, dead or alive. So one may see that 
the country has undergone a great change since m}^ so- 
journ in it, both in politics and society in general. In the 
early days the colonies produced hides, tallow and wool; 
now there is not only as much of the same as there ever 
w^as, but to it has been added hundreds of tons of gold, 
and yearly there is shipped thousands of tons of beef. 
Wattle-bark for tanning, which brings forty dollars a ton 
in England, is exported to the extent of hundreds of thou- 
sand tons, a more important item in the commerce of a 
countr}^ than one, at first thought, would suppose. Add 
to all this thousands of tons of wheat and flour, and its 
exports are already immense, and in my opinion it 
will eventually be next to the United States in produce 
and commerce. There is no lack of enterprise in the people, 
and that is the main thing in any country to make suc- 
cess sure both in person and government. 



44)4? PRIME MINISTERS. 



CHAPTER XXIX. 

Mental Panorama— Memories of Eminent Persons— Statesmen- 
Sportsmen— Stock Breeders— Cattle Kings — Millionaires— 
The Claimant— Fleet Horses— Crimes and Criminals— Kelley 
Brothers' Gang— Victoria Prison. 



REFLECTING upon the events and experiences of a 
thirty j^ears' life in the Australian colonies, it seems 
to me a dream in which the forms and faces and names 
of many distinguished statesmen, eminent citizens and 
personal friends pass in review, some familiar, others 
known by sight or reputation, vividly impressing the 
mind like a well-remembered vision of the night. 

Sir Charles McMahon, prime minister of Victoria, first 
moves across my mental panorama, followed by the Hays 
ministry, and close upon its heels comes John O'Shaugh- 
nessy, who filled the office of prime minister for two or 
more terms, then James McCulloch. Graham Barry of 
Geelong succeeded to this first and most enviable office in 
the Colonial empire, being the leader of the Liberals. 
It was under his administration that the dead-lock was 
put on and held so long, which is known in parliamentary 
history as the Black Wednesday. The Sarvis administra- 
tion moves on the mental canvas with a suggestion of 



PIONEER SETTLERS. 445 

its old political storms and struggles. Sarvis was a very 
able man and the opposition in the parliament embraced 
man}' strong men; all were doubtless honest and conscien- 
tious, but like statesmen and politicians in nW govern- 
ments and countries, their political telescopes were not 
adjusted to the same focus. Good old John Faulkner now 
passes before me. He headed a Tasmanian party of set- 
tlers, and subsequently started the first newspaper in 
Melbourne, and for many years held a seat in the Victoria 
parliament, lived to a ripe old age and died some time in 
the seventies. Dr. Lang, another prominent gentle- 
man, was a member of the New South Wales parlia- 
ment, and probably did as much as any other man for 
the good of the colonies. The Hennises were famous 
early pioneers of the country. Leaving Tasmania in 
1840, and coming to Victoria, the venerable Angis Mc- 
Millan was the first pioneer of Gipps' Land, and, in consid- 
eration of the personal respect in which he was held in the 
regions of the Australian Alps, was made a member of 
parliament. Mr. Mooney of Mooney's Points, four miles 
out of Melbourne, was an eminent citizen. 

Among the gentlemen of great wealth. Sir Thomas 
Elder of South Australia passes in my mind. Probably 
no other single individual has done so much through the 
means of his own private fortune towards the exploration 
and development of the might}' continent as has Sir 
Thomas. He is famed, moreover, for the cultivation and 
improvement of the breed of sheep. Mr. James Tyson is 
an instance of quick if not sudden rise to preeminent 
\vealth from absolute poverty — not from digging gold or 



446 EMINENT STOCK BREEDERS. 

stumbling against great nuggets thereof, but first as a 
humble cattle driver on a station, and then a furnisher of 
fat cattle to the butchers in the diggings during the early 
part of the golden age of the country. Now he possesses 
the largest stations and is regarded as the wealthiest 
cattle owner in the colonies. Truly he can saj^ like the 
patriarch, ''Thy servant's trade hath been about cattle," 
and there is "millions in it." 

Big Clark, as he was called, was reputed the largest 
real estate owner in the world, surpassing, in acres at 
least, the dukes of Westminster and Norfolk. It was said 
of him that he never did the community much good 
except in his death, when his estate fell to his eldest son, 
afterwards Sir William Clark, who has done much to 
improve and promote agricultural industries, and donates 
largely to sustain and enliven agricultural associations. 

No vision of the past would be either perfect or satisfac- 
tory in which "the horse and his rider" failed to appear: 
therefore we invoke the shadowy memories of the men of 
the turf George Watson and William Yule are probably 
the most venerable names in the history and antiquities 
of the Victorian race-course — the former for manj^ years, and 
even up to this day, although well up in the seventies, 
holding the baton of authority as starter. Mr. Yule first 
bred, but for many years has kept a horse bazaar for the 
sale of thorough-bred horses. Mr. Hurdle and Charles 
Fisher stand next, they having been among the first in the 
colonies to import thorough-bred stock. They imported 
the world-renowned horse. Fisherman, that won fifty- 
seven cups out of sixty-five, run for in England before 



THE CLAIMANT. 447 

cominsf to the colonies. William Peverson and Alexander 
Smith of Gipps' Land have been extensive horse breeders. 
It was the latter who raised so many Smugler colts, send- 
ing as many to India as any other breeder in the colonies. 
Dr. L. L. Smith of Melbourne, well-known as the " sporting 
doctor," has been a great breeder of choice stock, besides 
being the owner of Lady Maner Sutton, who ran the fast- 
est mile time in the colonies. He also bred the celebrated 
colt, Melancholy Jaques. S. S. Stoughton, who accumu- 
lated five millions of dollars and was the owner of several 
of the finest buildings in Flinder's Lane, Melbourne, 
started in life from humble circumstances. He is an exten- 
sive station owner, and his flocks are high up in the thou- 
sands. Andy Martin of Barnesdale, Gipps' Land, is a great 
breeder and shipper of horses to India. He was, in the 
early days, a Melbourne publican. 

And now who comes onto my mental panorama? 
Surely it is no less a personage than the "Claimant," 
Arthur Orton, as he w^as first known in Australia, and 
who subsequently claimed to be Roger Tichbourne, heir 
to the Tichbourne estate in England. Some time about 
1860 there came along a man and hired out upon the 
Hart station in north Gipps' Land. He was a quiet, un- 
assuming fellow, rather lazy, and the other station hands 
deemed him not remarkabh^ bright. One thing, however, 
the\^ all agreed in, and that was that hew^as an awful liar 
when on a drinking spree. Then he would blow about 
w^hat he was worth in England — claiming that he had 
money enough coming to him to buy Gipps' Land. 
"When he got sober he would fall into his usual quiet or 



448 ARTHUR ORTON. 

stupid ways, and when questioned about what he had 
said, he would tell them not to mind what he said when 
he was drunk. But when the next time he was under 
the influence of his controlling spirit, the other station boys 
would interview him and inquire if he was going to buy 
out Gipps' Land. He would generally get mad at his 
tormentors, and again swear he could do it, and the day 
would come when he would prove it to them. Time rolled 
on and so did Arthur, until he rolled out of Hart station, 
and nothing more was heard of him until some time about 
1866, when an advertisement appeared in all the colonial 
papers wanting information of the whereabouts of Roger 
Tichbourne, heir to the Tichbourne estate in England. Im- 
agine everyone's surprise wdien our Gipps' Land stock 
rider again turned up, this time at Waga Waga, as the 
Tichbourne claimant. He had gone there from Hart sta- 
tion and had engaged in the butchering business. Every- 
body remembers the famous trial and its result. Com- 
missioners were sent to Gipps' Land to take depositions, 
and several witnesses went to England in person. The 
contestants proved that there was an Arthur Orton, a 
butcher, that left Wapping, England, some years before 
and was known in Australia as the "Wapping butcher," 
who died in the lunatic asylum in Sydney. Opinion is di- 
vided in Australia, but there are many who believe to this 
day that the claimant is the rightful heir. However, in 
Waga Waga, they claim that the Arthur Orton who sup- 
plied the citizens there with choice steaks was at least a 
whapping butcher, for he weighed 280 pounds. 
New South Wales now appears in m}' mental review. 



NOTED HORSES. 449 

That coloTiY can now turn out many famous sports and 
eminent citizens as well as her sister colony. Mr. Green of 
Paramatta was the gentleman who responded to the Vic- 
torian turf union in 1858, to run "Alice Hothan" against 
any horse New South Wales could produce. Mr. Green 
took up the challenge on his owm account and backed his 
horse "Yeno" for one thousand pounds a side. Upon 
arriving in Victoria some thought the Victorians had 
selected the wrong horse— that they should have presented 
"Black Boy." Mr. Green agreed to match that horse for 
the same amount— three miles, same distance. He won 
both races, running the second two hours after the first 
race, Mr. DeMasters and Mr. Lang are also eminent and 
reputable sporting gentlemen of the New South Wales 
colony. The colonies never had but one sporting governor, 
Sir Hercules Robinson, who owned some of the fastest 
stock in the colonies. There are many other gentlemen of 
equal note in both colonies, and Tasmania, though small, 
is a land of fast horses and gentlemanly proprietors of 
such stock. New Zealand, as well, has splendid stock and 
many excellent and honorable sports. It would take a 
book instead of a few brief pages to do justice to this 
class of stock cultivators. All to whom allusion has been 
here made are of a high type of citizens, devoted to the 
development of the highest powers and fleetest speed of 
the noblest and most useful animal bestowed upon man^ 
and by their untiring efforts they have made the Austra- 
lian horse more famous and fleet than the ancient and his- 
torical Arabian steed of the desert. 
While crimes and criminals do not furnish material for a 



450 CRIMINALS. 

ver}' interestino- discourse or attractive reading, neverthe- 
less the\^ constitute no small part of the annals of a new- 
country, especially one hastily and rapidlv settled under 
the exciting influences of the discovery of rich gold fields^ 
as was Australia. I therefore make no apology for allud- 
ino-to a few of the most memorable criminal occurrences 
that transpired during my time in that country, the mem- 
ory of which now completes my panoramic view. In 1852-4 
there was one Adelville, reported to be of a high family in 
England, who became a leader or captain of an organized 
band of bush-rangers. He was accustomed to make tours 
through the country, robbing and sticking up. Then he 
would return to the cit}-, end there live in luxury until his 
means were exhausted, and then return to his old haunts 
and occupation. It was upon one of these sprees, as they 
are called there, that he was taken, having been given 
away by one of his pals, named Bradley, of Geelong. He 
was convicted and sentenced to some thirty years penal 
servitude aboard the hulks at Williamstown. At that 
early dav the land prison, or pentr\% as they called it, was 
not ampleenough for all the prisoners, and the government 
fitted up some old unseaworthyhulks where prisoners were 
kept nights, taking them ashore to w^ork during the day 
upon the public works. One evening when Melville and 
four others were returning to the hulks, they suddenly 
turned upon the warder and killed him, and attempted to 
escape in tb? boat. They were captured, tried and sen- 
tenced to be hung. While waiting the day of execution, 
Melville wrote a letter exposing the cruelty practiced by 
the officers upon the prisoners, and the inhumanity of the 



KILLING OF MR. PRICE. 451 

inspector-general of the penal service. The letter somehow 
got into the newspapers, and the charges were of so grave 
a nature that the public demanded that before Melville's 
execution an investigation of the charges should be made, 
and it was made. The inquiry resulted in the commuting 
of Melville's sentence to imprisonment. He eventually 
became frantic and desperate, and attempted the life of 
the warder with the sharpened handle of an iron spoon. 
He was finally overcome and placed in irons. One morn- 
ing he was found dead. He had strangled himself with his 
necktie. Upon his slate he had written that he had 
strangled himself— but was not conquered — that he would 
die with a smile on his face. It was said that the smile was 
there. But that is doubtless criminal romance. 

Doubtless great cruelty had been practiced, but as soon 
as something had been done to rectify those wrongs, the 
prisoners thought they had the right to demand more, and 
to rebel if their demands were not complied with. In 
March, 1856, there was an outbreak upon the Williams- 
town works, and Mr. Price was sent for. He walked down 
fearlessly among the rioters, and was immediately pounced 
upon and killed. Seven were tried for this murder, found 
guilty and hung. I was unfortunate enough to witness 
the execution of three of them. Having business that 
morning near the jail, I was brought in for a juror. Ever 
after that I gave the vicinity of the jail a wide berth morn- 
ings of executions. 

Black Douglas' band of bush-rangers were for a long 
time a terror to the country, but they confined themselves 
to the more agreeable business of robbing and sticking up, 



452 MORGAN, THE TERROR. 

never taking life. They were all, however, taken at last, 
and served their terms in prison. Gipsey Smith was an- 
other notorious character, who had his circuit of labors 
in the Meriborough district. He was at last captured by 
shooting his horse from under him. He got fifteen years, 
five of them in irons. 

About 1863 to 1865 Morgan, a public terror, flourished — 
a desperate and bloodthirsty wretch who commenced his 
career bv horse stealing; gotatwo years' sentence in 1859, 
served his term and at once took to the road, where he 
worked soleh^ on his own account. The fact was that he 
was so cruel that no partner in crime would remain wit^ 
him. His principal beat was in the Ovens district and in 
that vicinity. When goods and groceries were being trans- 
ported by six horse teams, he w^ould lie in wait for the 
return trip and stick up the teamster for the money, the 
proceeds of the goods. If he happened to be in bad temper, 
he would, after getting the mone^^ turn in his saddle, as he 
was about to ride away, and shoot his victim down. 
Once he stuck up a station, and upon riding away, turned 
and deliberately fired at some persons standing near and 
wounded a little boy. He then turned to one of the men 
and ordered him to go for the doctor, but upon the man's 
mounting a horse and starting, he followed and shot him 
dead. At this one time he killed and wounded five persons. 
He managed to avoid the police, and so numerous had 
become his depredations that the Victorian government 
offered a reward of two thousand pounds or ten thousand 
doUars for him, dead or alive. At last his time came. He 
stuck up a station near Wangaratta. Here he ordered 



GARDNER— THE GILBERTS, 453 

them to bring out the brandy and the young ladies to 
play the piano while he sat drinking, with the whole com- 
pany in front of him, with two revolvers on the table. 
But, as sharp as he supposed himself to be, a little girl 
living at the station managed to make her escape, and ran 
through the bush five miles and gave "the alarm to the 
police. They assembled a large party of volunteers who 
came down, surrounded the station before daylight, and 
upon his coming out of the house in the morning, he was 
shot. He spoke but once and died. The little girl received 
five thousand dollars of the reward. Thus fell the worst 
bush-ranger that ever disgraced the Australian colonies. 

One Frank Gardner operated in New South Wales. He 
was once taken but made his escape, and some pretty hard 
reflections were made upon the chief of police on account 
thereof. Gardner made his way up into Queensland, 
where he operated for two years, when he was captured by 
some detectives and brought back to New South Wales, 
where he was tried on numerous charges and got thirty-two 
years. His health ultimately failed ; friends interceded in his 
behalf and he was pardoned on condition of his leaving the 
colonies. He went to California and the genial climate of 
that noble state restored him to health, and he still lives. 

The Gilbert gang was a notorious fraternity comprising 
four persons. These, like many other colonial native-born 
persons, commenced their professional career b^'- making 
horse stealing a specialty. They subsequently enlarged 
their practice by adding the profitable business of mail 
robbing. The police took much interest in the fraternity 
and sought to make their acquaintance, but never could 



454 THE KELLEY GANG. 

get an introduction or an interview. Finally they bribed 
the venerable grandfather of one of the boys, who invited 
the members of the syndicate to dine with him, and after 
the cloth was removed and his guests were well in their 
cups, the prudent old grandfather drew the charges from 
their rifles and revolvers and signaled to the police, who 
came down upon them. The boys seized their guns, only 
to find that they had been tampered with. They made 
an effort to escape, but three were killed on the spot. The 
other was taken prisoner, and I think he was hung. Gil- 
bert w^as a Canadian, the others native-born. Gilbert had 
a father and brother there, respected citizens, who deplored 
the wayward son and brothei'. 

The Kelley brothers, twenty-two and eighteen years of 
age, with their associates, were a most determined and 
powerful gang of desperadoes. They w^ere all natives of 
Victoria. Like most of the rest, they graduated as horse 
thieves. Ned and Dan were their baptismal names. There 
was a warrant out for Ned, and a policeman went to old 
Mr. Kelley's house to arrest him. A row ensued, and the 
policeman was shot in the wrist. He claimed Dan shot 
him, but the other side claimed the policeman shot himself 
through his own unguardedness. However, he failed to 
make the arrest. The boys made their escape to the ranges 
and there kept themselves for weeks. Four policemen at- 
tempted to rout them from their hiding-place, and camped 
one Saturday night upon a creek. In the morning, two 
remained to cook breakfast, while the other two recon- 
noitered the country. While one was at the fire cooking — 
the other lying upon a log — there came the well-known 



OUTLAWED. 455 

word — "Bail up! " The one on the log sprang for his re- 
volver, but was shot dead. The other had the good sense 
to hold up his hands, and was saved. Four men came up 
and buried the dead man, but told the other if he kept 
quiet they would spare him. He was to let the other two 
policemen ride into camp before telling them what had 
happened. He was to tell them that he had been stuck 
up, and if they would surrender peaceably no harm would 
be done them, but when the two were told what had hap- 
pened, they thought it a joke and got off their horses. 
Upon getting off, they saw the revolver pointed towards 
them. They drew and fired. Shooting now began in good 
earnest, and while the two were engaged with the 
gang, the one first taken prisoner jumped upon a horse. 
Both he and his horse received a slight wound, but he got 
clear, and crawled into a hollow log and remained till dark, 
when he made his way to the nearest station, Mansfield, 
and reported himself. The wires carried the news, and 
hundreds of police went to search and look after the fate 
of the two. They were found, one apparently instantly 
shot dead, while the other, the sergeant, had fought a re- 
treating battle for some hundred yards, and fell with five 
shots in him. For weeks the countr^^ was scoured to no 
purpose. The Government Gazette proclaimed the two 
Kelleys and their two unknown associates outlaws. The 
other two were found out to be one Burns of Woolshed 
creek, his mother a widow, the other the son of a farmer, 
living near Wangaratta. His name was Steve Hart, only 
eighteen years old. His family were very respectable. 
There was nothing but the Kelleys talked of for sometime, 



456 BANK ROBBERY. 

but nothing was known of their whereabouts, until at 
last the excitement died out. About three months after 
the murder of the police, there came news to Melbourne — 
Urora bank had been stuck and robbed of two thousand 
two hundred and fifty pounds, and the robbers were the 
Kelley gang. The gang rode into a station and stuck up 
all hands there, telling them only to keep quiet and no 
harm would come to them. They used the store-room as 
a prison, took charge of all that came along, as the sta- 
tion was near the road, until thej^ had some twent}- or 
more prisoners. Burns and Ned mounted their horses and 
started for Urora, four miles distant, while Dan and Steve 
kept sentry. Ned and his pal rode direct to the bank, 
walked in as if going to make a deposit, leveled their re- 
volvers at the manager and cashier, robbed the safe, took 
the manager and his wife and the cashier, hitched up the 
manager's horse and trap. Ned got in with the famih% 
and Burns rode alongside and drove to the station, where 
the other prisoners w^ere. This all took place in a little 
country town, at three o'clock in the day-time. They kept 
them prisoners all night and part of the next day. In the 
meantime, a peddler came along. He was rather sauc}^ to 
the boys, and to punish him they each took a suit of 
clothes. This w^as all they were ever known to take from 
a private person. Again the whole country and the police 
were aroused for another month. They sent to Queens- 
land for the black trackers, but they were of no use, for 
they would only follow to the scrub, would stop and go 
no further. Things went on in this way for two months 
more, and nothing was heard of the Kelleys. The excite- 



GREAT REWARDS OFFERED. 457 

ment died out again. Finally the police got quarreling 
among themselves. The Victorian government had offered 
a reward of four thousand pounds sterling, or one thou- 
sand pounds for each, or two thousand pounds for Ned 
alone, deadoraHve. There seemed to be an impression that 
after robbing the bank they had quit the country. But 
soon there came a new cry of the Kelley gang, this time 
from New South Wales, just over the border, in a little 
town named Jeraldgong. The gang had taken possession 
of the town, bank, telegraph and public house, and to the 
last-named place marched the whole population, held the 
town for twenty-four hours, then left, taking with them 
some two thousand four hundred pounds sterling. New 
South Wales offered a reward equal to that of Victoria, 
making forty thousand dollars. Yet with all this reward 
the game was not to be had. The excitement rose and 
died out as before, to all appearance, but the police were 
at work. Nearly two years had elapsed since the reward 
was first offered, and one day a notice appeared in the 
papers that after the thirtieth of January the reward would 
be withdrawn. At last the police succeeded in bribing one 
of Burns' old pards in crime. Dan Kelley and Burns got 
wind of the bribery of their old pard, and went on the in- 
vitation, knocked at the door of his hut, and as he opened 
it they shot him dead. Then they challenged the two 
policemen secreted in the hut to mortal combat, but they 
knew better than to come out. and remained inside 
till daylight, and then went to Beechworth and reported 
the killing of the decoy duck. 
Ned was alarmed at the killing of the man bv Dan and 



458 IMPRISONING A WHOLE VILLAGE. 

Burns, as thej knew the whole force of police would 
soon be on them where they then were, so they mounted 
their horses and struck out for a little town on the Mel- 
bourne & Beechworth railroad, about twelve miles from 
Wangaratta. Here they took possession of the town, 
railroad station and all. It was Sunday morning and no 
trains were run on that day. They marched everybody to 
prison, approjjriating for that purpose the hotel kept by 
a Mrs. Jones. There were forty-three in all, among them 
the station-master, telegraph operator, school-master 
and all the railway second hands, which they made go 
and tear up a portion of the track. 

Then they went about the business of drinking. At 
nine o'clock Sunday morning the news was brought to 
Beechworth of the affair, a telegram sent to Mel- 
bourne, and a special train with policemen and horses 
scudded over the rails at forty miles an hour. The Kelley 
gang, ignorant of the fact that their actions were known 
at Melbourne and that a special train with a police force 
was on the track, went in for a carousal all day Sunday, 
drinking and dancing. The school-master pretended to 
be friendly with them, and laughed and talked and danced 
and drank with them until the Kelley's thought the}' 
really had a friend in him they could depend upon. At 
last about nine o'clock Sunday night the school-master's 
wife pretended to be taken suddenly sick and in great pain 
and distress, and he applied to Ned to let him take her 
home, which he did. As soon as he got her home he struck 
out on the track be\'ond where the break was, with a 
signal light, just as the train was about half a mile distant. 




If 



'wm m ^ 



460 ARRIVAL OF THE POLICE. 

The engineer saw the danger signal and slacked the train, 
and when it came to a stand-still he was not long in 
giving the information.- The house was soon surrounded 
and the police demanded a surrender. The Kelleys came 
out on the veranda and exchanged a number of shots with 
the police, the people in the house lying upon the floor. Fir- 
ing was continued at intervals till morning. Three of the 
people and a little boy were killed. Burns, one of the 
gang, was shot in the groin and bled to death during the 
nicrht. Ned broke out in the darkness and made his escape. 
In the morning, as soon as light, the police ordered all 
the occupants to come forth hands up, and all came out 
in that manner except Steve Hart and Dan Kelley. Ned 
had escaped and Burns was dead. It was a pitiful sight 
to see the little children coming out with their hands up 
above their heads. Dan and Steve held the fort and refused 
to surrender. The house was fired and they perished in 
the flames. Ned was found in the immediate vicinity, 
captured, convicted of murder and executed. Whenhewas 
sentenced he thanked the supreme judge and prophesied 
that his honor would be in hell before him. The prisoner 
was hung, and it is a singular coincidence that the judge 
died before the execution. It cost the government sixty 
thousand pounds. The reward was paid, and the school- 
master got ten thousand dollars out of the forty thou- 
sand dollars. 

But enough of this minutiae and particulars of an unin- 
teresting subject. Such gangs of desperadoes and outlaws 
were once very numerous, and it was almost impossible 
to look at a newspaper without finding therein some 



CRIMINAL EDUCATION. 461 

blood-curdling account of robbery and murder. Madam 
Sawyer has a famous "Chamber of Horrors" in Bourke 
street, Melbourne, like unto Madam Tassaud's in London, 
and when an execution takes place she has a cast made 
of the subject for her establishment, which now contains 
a small army of the most notorious criminal characters 
of Australia, represented in wax. In the system of crim- 
inal education in that country there is, of course, the 
kindergarten and juvenile object lessons, followed by the 
primary, which relates to horse stealing and cattle "duff- 
ing;" from these the advance is generally to "sticking 
up "their fellow-citizens; then comes the more attractive 
studies in mail and bank robberies, safe cracking and 
kindred lessons ; and then follows the high school and the 
graduating class of bush-rangers, desperadoes and mur- 
derers. 

However, at this time the Australian colonies, for gen- 
eral sobriety, honesty and good citizenship, will compare 
favorably with any nation or country on the earth ; and 
it is remarkable that of the native born so few are of the 
criminal class, when it is considered that in the early days 
so manyof their fathers were sent to the colonies for crime, 
or what in England was deemed crime — an offense against 
society and the government — in those days. 

The penal prison of Victoria is located at Pentragetown, 
on the Beechworth road, about five miles to the north of 
Melbourne. The buildings are of blue stone and present 
rather a gloomy appearance. The grounds embrace six 
hundred and forty acres, or one mile square, the whole en- 
closed by a wall twenty-one feet high and two feet thick 



462 PENTRAGE PRISON. 

at the top. The area embraces a large stone quarrjr 
where hundreds of prisoners are constantly employed In 
quarr^ang stone. About three hundred acres is devoted 
to cultivation, and most of the products are used on the 
premises. The vegetables are all grown b}^ the prisoners, 
especially by those of short sentence or whose term is 
nearly expired. However, once in there is little chance of 
getting out by scaling the walls, for there are watchmen 
upon thy walls, O Pentrage, w^ho will never hold their 
peace day nor night, should a prisoner attempt to 
escape! They work through the day and are locked in 
their cells at night. The prisons are divided into three 
separate departments, A, B and C, according to the length 
of the term of sentence. Such as are kept in solitary con- 
finement during the whole of their occupanc}^ are only let 
out one hour in a day for exercise, and then are compelled 
to wear a mask and are not allowed to speak, not even 
to the warder, unless spoken to. Those confined in divis- 
ion B are mostly employed in the stone-cutting yards. 
There are numerous walled enclosures within the great 
surrounding wall. Many of these interior enclosures are 
stone-cutting yards. These, like the others, are marched 
to their cells after their day's work. The men in division 
C fare better, but it is only for a short time, near the close 
of their term. They are allowed in a large yard and to 
converse, and upon holidays o have sports and meals 
together in a large mess-room. Their clothes are coarse 
gray woolen, each article of apparel being numbered with 
the prisoner's number, as they do not go by name. Their 
food is good and wholesome, and for those who are at 



END OF THE PANORAMA. 463 

work, plenty of it. But those who are confined tinder 
discipline get only half rations. There are many termed 
"old hands" who would not miss being there during the 
winter months — in fact, they look to the Pentrage as their 
home. They have been there so many times it seems to 
them like getting back to their father's house. The pano- 
rama has completed its circuit and here the curtain drops 
upon Australia, lea vingonlytomyselfalonepleasant mem- 
ories of many scenes, friendships and experiences that can- 
not be recorded here, but which time can never obliterate 
from my memory. 



•i64j GIPPS' LAND. 



CHAPTER XXX. 

GiPPs' Land— Pioneers — Stations— Great Estates — Horse Aristoc- 
racy — Stringy Bark— House Building — Gum and Cherry Trees 
— Bountiful Crops — Answering an Advertisement — Tongia— In 
THE Mountains — Murder of Green— Omeo— Discovery— Chinese — 
Spanish — Dutch — Captain Cook— First Colony — Lost and Found 
— First Newspaper— Governors— Law System and Courts— Popu- 
lation Then and Now. 

ALTHOUGH I considered my engagement closed when 
the curtain dropped at the end of the last chapter, 
it has been rung up again just to enable me to say some- 
thing a little more definite about Gipps' Land, which I 
have heretofore mentioned only in a general way. I feci 
it a pleasant duty to do, for whatever of a continued 
city and abiding-place I had in Australia in the last 
twelve years previous to my leaving the country, was in 
that department of the Victorian colony. It is situated 
in the northeastern part of that colony, and within its 
area it embraces a portion of that eastern coast range of 
mountains named by Sir Roderick Murchison the Aus- 
tralian Alps. The great geologist, many years prior to 
gold discovery, having compared them to the Ural mount- 
ains in their geological elements and formation, pro- 



GIPPS' LAND PIONEERS. 465 

nounced them gold bearing, and prophesied their ultimate 
development as gold fields. 

Gipps' Land was discovered, or rather, I should say, 
opened up and a settlement begun by Angis McMillan, 
whom I have mentioned in a former chapter. His party 
came down from New South Wales and settled on a little 
river that they named Avon, which empties into Lake Well- 
ington, being one of the Gipps' Land chain of lakes. They 
named their camping place Stratford, which has developed 
into a respectable town and retains that name unto this 
day — so we have a Stratford-on-Avon, and in that 
respect we are on an equality with the mother country, 
as we are with her in holding in veneration the name 
and memory of the immortal dramatist. Some of the 
party took up ranges on Flooding creek, twelve miles 
away, now the town of Sail and the capital of Gipps' 
Land. For some years but little was known of that part 
of the colony, only as an unexplored country. At last 
squatters commenced to come in pretty rapidly for settle- 
ment, and it was not long before the tide of emigration 
poured in and the department became known as one of 
importance. 

One among the first settlers on Flooding creek was Mr. 
Foster of Hart station. Three miles from there, on the 
west bank of the Thompson river, was Mr. William 
Pearson. Three miles further on lived one Jones, w^ho 
possessed an extensive landed estate, but who afterwards 
hung himself, either in disgust or as a relief from great 
mental agony — he possibly suffered because some of his 
neighl.ors succeeded in purchasing of the government for 



466 STATIONS AND GREAT ESTATES. 

the least money, more acres than he could. Twelve miles, 
further on was a fine station of which a Mr. Johnston was 

the owner, known as the Park, situated in what was 

called the town of Mafaru. The next great station was 
Hayfield, and at Stratford was another, the property of 
Samuel Swan. These gentlemen are only here alluded to as 
the possessors of vast landed estates in my own neighbor- 
hood. They had severally succeeded in purchasing from 
five thousand to thirty thousand acres of land for one 
pound per acre, which five years thereafter would 
readily sell for ten pounds ( fifty dollars ) an acre, 
and now would readily sell for from ten to thirty 
pounds per acre. Mr. Pearson now owns sixteen thou- 
sand acres in one block, which would quickly com- 
mand the last named prices. A Mr. Smith took up the 
Linitino station, comprising several miles of the Alitchell 
river flats, having an area of several thousand acres of the 
richest agricultural land in all Australia — much of it since 
selling for fifty pounds (two hundred and fifty dollars) an 
acre — for hop growing. Where Barnesdale now stands was 
ormerlv a portion of the McLoed station. It is a thriving 
little town upon the Mitchell river, five miles above where 
it empties into the lakes. It is at the head of lake navi- 
gation and also the present terminus of the Melbourne 
& Gipps' Land railroad, and is destined to be one of 
the most prominent inland towns — in fact, it is already 
known as the Chicago of Australia. Thus it may be 
inferred that the people of that part of the world are not 
ignorant of the United States, its cities and the enterprise 
of its citizens. Upon the opposite sideof the Mitchell river 



HORSE ARISTOCRACY. 467 

one Mr. Crooks took up the Luckiiow station and com- 
menced breeding horses upon an extensive scale. He 
erected some thirty miles of post and rail fence at a cost 
of three dollars and seventy-five cents a rod. He owned 
man}' horses that cost him a hundred guineas each. It 
may, perhaps, not be generally known in this country 
that, in Australia, as in England, there is a horse aristoc- 
rac}' that disdains pounds, shillings and pence in estimat- 
ing their price or value, but the prices must be named in 
guineas, like the fee of a solicitor or barrister and the 
doctor and surgeon. Besides this station he owned one 
other, the Topall. Upon the two he was reputed to own 
as many as six thousand head of horses — and there w-ere no 
scrubs among them, as inferior horses are there called^ 
but most of them were among the most valuable in the 
colonies. Whole "mobs," or droves of them have been 
known to bring as high as one hundred and fifty dollars 
per head for the least valuable ones. On the Nicholson 
river, some eight miles farther north, Mr. McAlister had 
a cattle station. He came to Gipps' Land with the old 
pioneer, Angis McMillan. 

On the Tamba river is some of the finest agri- 
cultural land that any country can produce. From Flood- 
ing creek, south fifteen miles on Meriman's creek, settled 
Mr. McFarlin, also a pioneer companion of old Angis Mc- 
Millan. Sixteen miles west is the pleasant town of Rosedale, 
and still further on is Tomgabba and Brangalong. In all 
this country, down until as late as 1867, there were not 
more than one thousand acres under cultivation, while 
now there is at least one million acres, the very choicest 



468 WATTLE BARK — BARNESDALE. 

land in all the colonies In 1871 I knew a four horse- 
power threshing machine start out on a threshing tour, 
and it was compelled to travel over an area of thirty 
miles square to keep it running, while now over the same 
ground it requires thirty steam threshers to thresh the 
grain that is now grown there. Besides the grain, there 
are more sheep and cattle raised upon the same land 
than there was before. 

The Gipps' Land lakes extend over seventy miles and 
are an inlet of the sea, and navigable for ocean steam 
coasters and coasting schooners trading with Alelbourne 
and Sydney. The most of the surface of the country I have 
spoken of is of a level nature, and a great portion of it 
bottom or river land. Probably there is not another por- 
tion of the colony of the Australian continent of its size, 
that turns out so much wattle bark as Gipps' Land. I 
have known at least thirty thousand tons to be stripped 
there in one year. Sail is a thriving town of some five 
thousand inhabitants. Barnesdale, which has been my 
place of residence for many years, is not so large, probabl}' 
three thousand. Each town supports a public hospital — ; 
and I would like to say here, as I do not remember that I 
have said it before, that probably there is no country in 
the civilized world that supports more hospitals than 
Australia. The method the government adopts is to give 
pound for pound that the people subscribe for such insti- 
tutions, and the same for supporting them afterwards. 

The gold diggings of the Australian Alps contributed 
greatly towards the settlement and development of Gipps'; 
Land. The ranges, where fifteen vears ago scarcelv a head 



TIMBER, STRINGY BARK — liOUSE BUILDING. 469 

of cattle could be seen, are now grazing their thousands. 
Although the hills are thickly covered with timber, they 
produce plenty of grass, not, however, of the fattening 
quality, but bone producing. Cattle are grown upon the 
hill ranges, and then brought down into the flats or bot- 
tom lands and fattened upon the artificial or cultivated 
grass. After having gotten their growth in the ranges, 
they will fatten very speedily. We never think of fatten- 
ing a creature until it first gets its growth. There is not 
so much expense incident to the raising of cattle there as 
there is in this country, as we are never under the necessity 
of feeding them. Oftentimes a person will turn out a 
calf after it is weaned, and never see it again until it is fit 
for fattening for market, when from five to seven years 
later it is fully grown. 

The timber on the Gipps' Land hills is free splitting. 
The kind mostly used for splitting purposes is the stringy 
bark, so called from the facility with which it can be 
stripped or pulled into strings, and the fibres of which are 
twisted into ropes for horses and other uses. The method 
of barking the tree is to ring it at the butt, and again 
eight or nine feet above, then split it down from one girdle 
to the other, get the fingers in and start it from the wood. 
When once started, it will readily peel around the body 
of the tree, and come off in one whole sheet, eight feet 
long and from three to six feet wide. Take a long-handled 
shovel and strip off the rough outside bark, and it will 
resemble a side of sole leather. Two men can strip from 
forty to sixty sheets in a day, so it don't take long to 
strip enough bark to cover a house, sides, roof and all. 



470 RED GUM AND CHERRY TREES. 

I have known houses built of bark in this way to last for 
ten or twelve years. The young stringy bark trees make the 
best of poles, and one can cut them twenty-five or thirty 
feet long, as straight as a candle, and, if desired, not more 
than three inches in diameter. Two men can go into the 
bush and strip the bark, cut the poles and put up a house 
inside of a week, and a good tidy-looking one too, and 
such a one as manj' thousands who are worth their thou- 
sands of pounds have lived in for years. 

The wattle tree has a beautiful flower, and the most 
fragrant of any tree in the world. As soon as the tree is 
stripped of its bark, the roots will rot, and in the course 
of twelve months one can push it over, for the roots only 
run along the surface of the ground, there being no tap 
root. The wattle grows very rapidly. Ground on which 
allthetrees have been stripped, in two years little saplings 
will have grown into trees large enough to strip. So im- 
portant has become the wattle tree, and so beautiful and 
fragrant its flower, the government has commenced to 
plant the railroad line and grounds to wattles, and has 
appointed commissioners to investigate and see that the 
forest trees are properly stripped from the roots to the 
top, that there may be no reckless waste of the precious 
bark. 

The principal wood for fence posts is the red gum. It is 
a timber that will stand both water and weather for a 
time almost incredible. Theboro is of little use except for 
fuel. The light-wood is a very firm, tough timber, used 
for whiffletrees and other purposes where great strength 
is required. The cherry tree is a very pretty wood, and 



BOUNTIFUL CROPS. ' 471 

•one in this country will perhaps scarcely believe the story 
when told that the stone of the wild cherry grows on the 
outside — on the top of the berry. Corn is cultivated in 
Gipps' Land to a greater extent than in any other place in 
the colonies, except on the Hunter river in New South 
Wales, where it is no uncommon thing to get a crop of 
two hundred bushels of shelled corn to the acre. In Gipps' 
Land I have known oats to produce ninety bushels to the 
acre, barley one hundred, peas sixt}^, and horse beans one 
hundred bushels to the acre. Lindino flat I have known 
to yield forty-two bushels of wheat to the acre on an aver- 
age; but I don't wish to be understood that this is the 
average yield in general. 

Potatoes yield wonderfully well. I have seen seventeen 
tons produced from an acre. The usual price of v^heat 
is one dollar and fifty cents per bushel, which is the highest 
price, but it is seldom less than one dollar. Oats never 
less than seventy-five cents, barley from fifty to seventy- 
five cents, corn, or maize, as it is called there, sixty-five cents 
to one dollar. So one can readily see that for the farmer 
that country is as good if not a little better than this. But 
then there is another consideration less favorable to farmers 
there than in this country. Farming tools and imple- 
ments are about three times the price there to what they 
are here, and then again the cost of clearing land is about 
double what it is in this country. Land can be obtained 
direct from the government for one pound per acre on 
twenty years' time, deferred payments. When Charles 
Ganon Duffey's Land act came into force and there was a 
land election day, 1 have known people wait in the yard 



472 ANSWERING AN ADVERTISEMENT. 

all night for fear their names would be called and they 
would not be there to answer. I never was quite so land- 
struck as to loose any rest on account of it. The first 
man who started a store in Barnesdale was F. W. Drever- 
man. It was a little ten by twelve place, but he soon 
found he had not capital enough to carry it on alone, so 
he advertised for a partner in the Melbourne papers, and 
one James Cameron saw the advertisement, and walked 
from Melbourne to Barnesdale, a distance of two hundred 
miles, to answer it in person. They came to an agreement 
and went into business together, and the partnership 
lasted about fifteen years. Both gentlemen remain there 
still and carry on business. Mr. Dreverman has been a 
member of the board of road commissioners for many 
years, and no less than three times president of that hon-^ 
orable body, and is the president thereof to-day. 

Fifty miles southwest on the road towards Melbourne 
is the Moa country, which is equally as rich as any in 
Gipps' Land. I was about to say the richest, but I am 
under the impression that I have used that word so often 
that it stands me in hand to be careful now or I shall be 
brought up standing by someone, like the Ethiopian 
minstrel who, discoursing upon the geography of the world' 
and the foundation thereof, said it rested upon a big rock. 
When questioned upon what the rock stood, he said it 
stood upon another rock. Being further pressed to know 
what the second rock stood on, he requested that they 
bother him no more, for it was rocks all the way down. 
So it is with the Gipps' Land country; it is all good. 
Moa is the name of a river. That portion of the country 




473 



474 TONGIA— IN THE MOUNTAINS. 

has but recently been settled, and mainly since the open- 
ins- of the Walla and Stringer's Creek reefs. The remain- 
ing hundred miles through to Melbourne, although very 
heavily timbered, is of the very richest soil, and some day 
when the land is cleared it will be very line agricultural land. 
The timber being so near Melbourne, is becoming more 
and more valuable every day. Returning now to the 
northern end of Gipps' Land, at Brothing on the Tamba 
river, we follow it to its source, over many hills, for we 
now have entered the commencement of the Australian 
Alps, and twelve miles further on is the crossing of the 
Tamba, where there was a store first kept by Hutchinson 
Brothers, since dead ; but their successor, one Peter Mc- 
Dougal, runs a business at the old stand. Crossing the 
Tamba, we now commence the mountain tour in earnest 
by ascending the Shady Creek hill. After Shady Creek hill 
there comes Little Dick, another dreadful hill to undertake 
to ascend with drays, which in the early days was never 
undertaken unless there were at least two drays in com- 
pany, when they would double their teams at each of 
those hills. I have seen as many as twenty bullocks, or 
ten yoke of oxen, as we would say in this country, to one 
of those drays. After Little Dick comes Fainting range, 
and after having surmounted all these diflSculties we 
arrive at Tongia, where there is a public house, kept for 
many years by one Allen Barnes. It was here that poor 
Green last stopped before being murdered for his gold. 
He used to buy gold on the Omeo diggings in the same 
waj'- 1 once did, heretofore described. This particular time 
lie started from Omeo in company with a lady, who, by 



MURDER OF GREEN. 475 

the way, now lives in the city of Cleveland, Ohio. I would 
give her name, but refrain from so doing, not having seen 
the lady since my return, and would not like to take the 
libert}' of doing so without first having obtained her 
consent. But I wnll assume the freedom to say that Mr. 
Hewett, a wine and spirit merchant in that cit3% was then 
in Australia and was at the time more familiar with the 
facts relating to that murder than myself. Green had 
for safet}^ taken a policeman with him as an escort. Leav- 
ing Omeo they arrived at Tongia and were there joined by 
Mr. Harley Dickings, who kept a store three miles from Ton- 
gia, on Swift creek. He joined the party for safety. They 
slept all night and started the next morning in good 
spirits, but had traveled only about two miles when, on 
a turn of the road at the top of a sidling hill, they were 
suddenly fired upon. Green fell from his horse wounded. 
Dickings was shot in the shoulder and fell. The lady's 
horse took fright and jumped a log and threw her, so she 
was left upon the ground to witness the bloody scene that 
followed. The policeman, like many of those valiant 
knights, was carried away out of danger by the flight of 
his horse, so he was the only one of the party of four 
persons that was not more or less hurt. As soon as 
Green fell, one of the murderers sprang vipon him and 
struck him on the head with a hatchet and killed him at 
once. Dickings' horse ran at once for his stable, which 
was not more than two miles away, the lady's horse and 
Green's following. Upon their stampeding, the pack-horse 
joined in, carrying all the gold. Dickings and the lady 
were not long in following on foot, and soon overtook 



476 OMEO AND LIVINGSTONE. 

the horses and drove them in ahead of them, gold and 
all. The murderers proved to be two young men that no 
one would hardly have suspected of such a crime, although 
rather suspicious characters when it came to horse steal- 
ing and cattle duffing. Their names were George Cham- 
berlin and George Armstrong. They were afterwards 
convicted of horse stealing, and while undergoing their 
sentence were tried for the Green murder and suffered the 
■extreme penalty of the law in Melbourne jail. 

Fifteen miles further on from Tongia were the Omeo 
diggings upon Livingston creek, first discovered by some 
prospectors— John Reed, an American, and one Jemmy 
Bloomfield, an Irishman and a great prospector, one who 
was always looking out for the fountain head where he 
could get the gold by the bucketful. One will always 
meet such men wherever he goes, but in all my experience 
of thirty-four years I never yet met one of them that had 
ever struck the fountain head, or ever got the bucketful. 
Omeo proved to be good diggings in the dry hills. Several 
parties undertook to cut and bring water onto the dry hill 
thirty years ago, and some of those same men are still 
working the same dry hill and running the same water 
ditch. The parties 1 refer to are Mr. Fitzgerald, George 
Hamilton and Duncan McCraig. Nearly all the old resi- 
dents of Omeo have passed away. William Jack, Thomas 
Shenn and Joseph Day were men who will be remembered 
by everyone that knew Omeo in the early diggings. But 
the Omeo of that day and this are greatly unlike. Now 
Livingstone, as the town is called, is in a valley surrounded 
by the Omeo plains, that have since, thanks to Sir Charles 



THE DISCOVERY OF AUSTRALIA. 477 

Ganon Duffey, become exceedingly valuable and are under 
a high state of cultivation. Time has wrought changes 
among men there as elsewhere, even more surprising than 
the changes of the face of that country, and there is 
now left on Omeo not more than six men who were there 
during its first golden days. 

As the object of this narrative is to record personal 
experiences and the events and happenings incident 
thereto, it has not been either my purpose or province to 
write the history of the lands it has been my fortune to 
visit or reside in ; but as I have said so much about my 
Gipps' Land home, I may as well, for the benefit of my 
youthful readers, finish this chapter by giving a brief his- 
torical outline of the ocean continent which is now known 
to the world as Australia. In recent years, from Oriental 
maps published in the modern editions of the travels of the 
famous Venetian, Marco Polo, from 1265 to 1292, in 
China, or Chathay, as it was then called, and who visited 
Japan, Sumatra, Borneo, Madagascar and other great 
but nameless lands in the midst of the Pacific ocean, in 
command of the emperor's fleet in that great exploring 
expedition, it is believed that the great island conti- 
nent of Australia was embraced in his discoveries. If so, 
he was, doubtless, the first European to behold that land. 
However, it is probable that Chinese navigators knew of 
the existence of at least the northern part of the Austra- 
lian continent at a very remote period, for it is said they 
formed a settlement on the island of Timor not far from 
Cape York, where they gathered a dainty for the Chinese 
market known as the sea-slug. But to come down to the 



4-78 SPANIARDS, DUTCH— CAPTAIN COOK. 

period of historical certainty. The earUest authentic rec- 
ords of the discovery of any part of Australia are Spanish. 
In the course of their voyages from their South American 
possessions between 1520 and 1600, the Spaniards dis- 
covered several islands of the Australian group; and in 
1605 Luis Vaez de Torres sighted the Australian coast 
and made report thereof to the king of Spain. This 
report remaining in the archives unpublished, it was not 
known to the world until it was rediscovered by Captain 
Cook in 1770. About the same time the Dutch made 
voyages of discovery in the Indian and Pacific oceans, and 
the names of several Dutch settlements mark the northern 
coast, but none of their explorations resulted in any per- 
manent settlement. But England has reaped the fruits of 
both Spanish and Dutch discoveries. 

The Dutch called the country New Holland and made 
verv unfavorable reports of it, describing its coasts as 
barren, its waters shallow, and thinly peopled by cruel, 
poor and brutal natives, and but of very little use to the 
great Dutch East India company. The island they had 
named as Van Diemen's Land or Tasmania, the}- pro- 
nounced as being the gloomy abode of "howling evil 
spirits." Thus lay the great island continent under a 
shadow and cloud until 1770, when Captain James Cook 
sailed in search of it, after having visited the Soc iety isl- 
ands and New Zealand, where he introduced the pig and 
the potato to the natives, and where his memory is revered 
by the descendants of savage ancestors as the god of pigs 
and potatoes. From here he sailed westward and struck 
the eastern coast of Australia, and landed on the eleventh 



FIRST COLONY— BOTANY BAY. 479 

of April, 1770. The beautiful bay which he entered and 
anchored in, he named Botany bay, in honor of Mr., after- 
wards Sir Joseph Banks, president of the Royal society, 
who was with him, and who was captivated with the 
rich and marvelous botanic specimens which he gathered 
upon its shores — the eucalypti, the grass-trees and the 
wonderful flowers, the birds of beautiful plumage and the 
kangaroo bounding through the open forests, unlike any- 
thing they had ever seen before. He landed in five different 
places and made a complete circuit of the great land, 
hoisting the English colors and taking formal possession 
in the* name of George the Third, king of Great Britain. 
Subsequently the English government selected Botany 
bay as a penal colony. Six hundred and fifty men and 
two hundred and fifty women were the first installment of 
these unhappy colonists, sent out under a guard of 
marines, a major-commandant, twelve subalterns, twenty- 
four non-commissioned officers and one hundred and sixty- 
eight rank and file, with forty women, their wives. Cap- 
tain Arthur Phillip, R. N., was the first governor. This 
fleet sailed from England in May, 1787, and was eight 
months making the voyage, having touched at Cape de 
Verde islands, Rio Janerio and the Cape of Good Hope, 
and in January, 1788, anchored in Botany bay. 

When these convict colonists had landed, the command- 
ant set about erecting the necessary buildings, and then 
discovered he had a scarcity of competent builders. The 
ship furnished sixteen, and the prisoners twelve carpen- 
ters, but only one experienced bricklayer was found 
among the convicts. He, of course, became the boss builder, 



480 CATTLE LOST AND FOUND. 

headed a body of laborers and built the governor's house 
and other brick structures. In the meantime the governor, 
officials and prisoners lived in tents. At that time all the 
stock of that great continent consisted of two bulls, five 
cows, one horse, three mares, three colts, twenty-nine 
vsheep, seventy-four pigs, a few turkeys and geese and 
some hens, which were, of course, imported with the 
colonists. The first great calamity which befell the colony 
was the loss of the two bulls and four cows, which wan- 
dered away and were lost in the woods. Five years later, 
when the governor sent out hunters to collect fresh 
provisions among the wild game, they discovered, feeding 
in a rich pasture before unknown to white men, a herd 
of sixty cattle, the children and grand-children of the 
lost animals. So long had the governor and officials lived 
on salt meat that the news of the discovery was a subject 
of congratulations, and the governor made a journey to 
the distant cow pasture to see the pleasant sight. 

The king's commission for the establishment of the 
government of the territory of New South Wales was 
granted in February, 1788, and five years later the first 
church was established in a temporary building. Phillip, 
the second governor, retired, and was succeeded by Gov- 
ernor Hunter in 1795. At this time, and for more than 
twenty years, it is said that rum was the currency and 
legal tender of the colony. All extra work was paid for 
in spirits, and drunkenness was the prevailing vice. All 
colonists, bond and free, were dependent on the govern- 
ment stores. Although a printing-press had been sent out 
in the first fleet, they forgot to send a printer along with 



FIRST NEWSPAPER — GOVERNORS. 481 

it, and for five years it lay idle and all orders, documents 
and announcements were in manuscript or by the bell- 
man. Finally a printer was discovered among the con- 
victs, and a government gazette was established. It was 
styled The Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Adver- 
tiser, founded by George Howe, a prisoner, and published 
"by authority, in 1803. There was a great calamity by 
a flood in 1806 in the Hawkesbury river, destroying 
almost the entire crops of the colony, and houses and 
colonists were swept away in a night and a great famine 
resulted. A two pound loaf of bread rose to five shillings, 
and a bushel of wheat eighty shillings, and vegetables 
in proportion. Another calamity to the colony the same 
year was said to be the appointment of one Captain Bligh 
as governor. He had been a naval captain, a man of vio- 
lent temper and vulgar manners and speech, played the 
tyrant for a while until the people were aroused, who, 
with the aid of a military force, deposed him. He was 
succeeded by Governor Macquarie in 1809, who held the 
office till 1821, when he was succeeded by Sir Thomas 
Brisbane. Mr. Barron Field "v/as the first judge sent to 
the colony. Many expedition? were made over the mount- 
ains, and the great rivers were discovered during these 
years. The first chief-justice and attorney-general came 
in 1824, and in 1829 the first act to establish trial by 
jury in civil cases was passed, and the Australian college 
was founded the following year. Folding was the first 
Roman Catholic bishop, and the Right Rev. W. G. Brough- 
ton was the first lord bishop of Australia, installed in 
1836. Governor Sir Richard Bourke bestows the name of 



482 LAW SYSTEM— COURTS. 

Melbourne on the town laid out on the Yarra Yarra river 
and returns to England and is succeeded by Sir George 
Gipps in 1838. Subsequent governors were Sir Charles 
Fitzroy, Gawler, Border and Earl Grey. In a former 
chapter I have stated the creation of new colonies. Tel- 
egraph communication with England opened in 1872. 

The legal system of the several colonies is mainly 
copied from that of England. The supreme court consists 
of a chief and two puisne judges, who exercise the powers 
of the three courts of queen's bench, common pleas and 
exchequer in England, and have criminal jurisdiction and 
go on circuit twice a year. In common law the new rules 
of pleading are in force. One judge sits in admiralty. 
Proceedings are by bill and answer. One judge also ex- 
ercises the functions pertaining to testimentary disposi- 
tions, letters of administration, etc., which in England are 
performed by the ecclesiastical courts. There are alsO' 
masters in equity. The supreme court exercises jurisdic- 
tion in bankruptcy and insolvency. One of the judges 
presides, exercising powers similar to the commissioners 
inEngland, with an appeal to the supremecourt. Estates 
of insolvents are vested in official assignees. There is a 
conscience court — presided over by a single commissioner, 
who decides, not according to law or evidence, but ac- 
cording "to equity and good conscience," held in Mel- 
bourne and Sydney— which has jurisdiction up to thirty 
pounds. Magistrates have absolute jurisdiction up to 
ten pounds, and up to thirty pounds by mutual consent 
in simple debt, but not in actions for damages or disputed 
rights of land. Under the "Masters' and Servants' Act," 



POPULATION THEN AND NOW. 483 

two magistrates can decide on disputes as to wages and 
service, and can commit a servant refusing to perform 
his written agreement, and levy a distress on the property 
of his master or his agent if wages are unpaid. The divi- 
sion of barrister and attorney is maintained as in En- 
gland. The judges appoint a board of examiners, and 
admit any man of good character to practice as a barris- 
ter after passing an examination in classics, mathematics 
and law. 

The population of New South Wales and Victoria in 
1852 was, in round numbers, about two hundred and sixty 
thousand ; now, about four million. 



484 NO LETTERS FROM HOME. 



CHAPTER XXXI. 

The Return — Correspondence — Resolve — Adieus— Sydney — The 
" Zealandria "—Sadness— Passengers — Auckland — Honolulu- 
Diversions AND Entertainments— Fourth of July— San Francisco 
— Changes — Reflections — The Railway — Familiar Scenery — 
HuMBOLT Sink— Ogden — Cleveland— Visiting— Loveland — See — 
Alone in His Native Country— " Over the Range." 

FROM the year I landed in Australia up to 1862 I re- 
ceived at intervals letters from home, but after that 
date I never received another until some time in 1881, 
although I had written as usual, yet without receiving 
any answer. Letters from home having ceased to come, 
I wrote to almost 'everyone I had known in my boyhood, 
but to no purpose. At last I suspended further efforts in 
the matter, but not without a feeling of inexpressible sad- 
ness, yet made a sort of half mental resolve that if they had 
forgotten, or so far lost interest in me as not to take the 
trouble to write me even in answer to my letters, I could 
do as long without hearing from home and old friends as 
they could without hearing from me. Then I wrote no 
more for eighteen years, and neither party heard from 
the other. I had given up all hope of ever hearing from 
them, and supposed that they had for all that length of 
time come to the conclusion that I was dead. 



A LETTER COMES AT LAST. 483 

One evening I called on a gentleman, an intimate friend 
connected with the public schools, and he handed me a 
letter addressed to C. D. Ferguson, saying he had 
instructions that if it was not for me to return it to 
F. B; Clapp, Melbourne. I told him that it was for me 
and from an only surviving sister in Cleveland, Ohio. The 
letter informed me that my friends had for years given me 
up for dead, never having heard from me for so long a 
time ; that then, recently, by chance, a person had been 
met in Cleveland who had once been in Australia and 
knew me there, but supposed I had left for the states 
years before. But he told them to write to New Zealand 
to Cole, Hoyt, Cobb & Company', coachers, and that firm 
would likely know my whereabouts if alive. She wrote 
the firm, but they had sold out and Mr. Cole had returned 
to the United States, but Mr. Robert Mitchel, who was 
then proprietor, answered her, telling her that I had not 
been in New Zealand for years, but he thought I was still 
in Victoria and a letter addressed to F. B. Clapp would 
most likely find me. 

She did as directed, with the result I have already 
mentioned. I was not surprised, though deeply saddened, 
to learn that not only my father and mother had passed 
over, but the most of my brothers and sisters had 
followed them. It is needless to say I was pleased to hear 
once more from home, and, as it were, from beyond the 
grave. I answered that letter with the utmost prompt- 
ness, and in due time I was rewarded with two or three — 
one of them informing me that a nephew, that was not 
born till fourteen years after I had left home, was coming 



486 ARRIVAL OF MY NEPHEW. 

out to Australia to see his uncle Charlie ; and sure enough 
he came according to the information — the first of my 
kindred that I had met in thirty-four years— since I was a 
boy of seventeen. Of course I was glad to see him, and I 
would have rejoiced at any time to have met anyone from 
the Western Reserve. My nephew was received with open 
arms by my Australian friends, no less than by me. An 
Irishman was at the office when the telegram came inform- 
ing me of my nephew's arrival in Melbourne. He under- 
took to bring me the dispatch, but he called at so many 
places on the road over to inform them of the news and to 
celebrate the event with another drink, that at last he for- 
got about the telegram and came to me twenty-four hours 
later to know if I had received it. Upon being told that 
I had not, "Now thin, bejabers, I musht have lost it; but 
niver mind," said he, "as he has come so far already he 
won't turn back now without seeingyou, so there won't be 
much harm done." 

Of course I endeavored to post my nephew in the 
m\'steries of Australia, and was pleased to find that he 
would be likely to make quite as apt a scholar 
as his venerable uncle. There were not many places 
in Australia he did not see, and not many of my 
acquaintances that he was not introduced to, and 
they declared him a fac-similc of his uncle. I think 
this was the first time in my life that I felt thoroughly 
homesick, and to cap the climax I received a letter from 
my sister in answer to one I had written her, saying I 
thought I should never return to America; that I had 
settled down and was now growing old ; that Australia 



DETERMINES TO RETURN. 487 

was my adopted home, and there I would be likely to 
spend the remainder of mj'- days. She wrote in reply that 
she had always hoped to see me once more; how dis- 
appointed she was ; and at the close bade me a final fare- 
well in this world, and hoped to meet me in the next, 
^where partings never come. 

Now, according to the old orthodox theory, there are 
two distinct countries in the hereafter to which weary pil- 
grims of this world are said to be traveling, and having 
been so long separated and so far away from my sister, 
and not being sure that the track I had taken would lead 
me to her celestial abode, I concluded I would go home 
and ascertain the track she is on and the route she is tak- 
ings that we might mutually consider and determine in our 
minds touching the probabilities of a near neighborly ex- 
istence in the world of spirits. Upon finishing the letter I 
said to some friends present, "I am going to America." 
**Goingwhere?"said three or fouratonce. "To America," 
I answered. "0, yes, we see you going; you have been 
going so many times." " But I am going this time," said 
I. "We will believe it when we see you start." "Well, 
that will be soon," I said. I got onto my horse and went 
to Barnesdale, and began to make arrangements for being 
absent some time. This was no uncommon thing for me, 
and not much notice was taken of it until someone asked 
where Ferguson was going this time. On being informed, 
no one would believe it. I had made three attempts be- 
fore and failed. This time I was determined to go or give 
it up forever. Then I knew if I did not go I would never 
hear the last of it from my friends. This was on Tuesday, 



488 PARTING GLASSES. 

and on Friday morning I left for Melbourne. My friends- 
there were equally surprised, but thought, as did the rest,, 
I would get no further than Sydney. However, they con- 
cluded to see me off in the usual way— the Scotch way — 
parting glasses. The consequence was my friends became sO' 
near-sighted they never noticed that I went upon one train 
one way and my luggageuponanothertrain, in an opposite 
direction. In fact, I was so overcome with my feelings that 
I did not find out the mistake until reaching Albura, where 
I was obliged to layover two days for the railroad officials 
to look up my luggage. From there I took the rail to 
Sydney, arriving there some ten days before the steamer 
sailed. 

I availed myself of the opportunity^ to look around the 
city and contemplate the changes that had taken place 
since the day I first set foot upon the Australian shore. 
Progress, improvement, wealth and social institutions 
were manifest everywhere in the colony of which Sydney is 
the capital city. Upon my arrival thirty years before, its 
population was only about fifty thousand, while now the 
census credits it with some two hundred and fifty thou- 
sand. Melbourne now was as large as Sydney, while it 
boasted of but twenty-five thousand when I first landed 
there ; besides, there are more than twenty cities whose 
population is counted from twenty to sixty thousand^ 
many of which had no existence when I came, and "the 
sound of the church-going bell" had never floated on the 
air where now it calls its thousands of worshipers. 

A line of splendid ocean steamers was now plying 
monthly between Sydney and San Francisco. Upon one 




489 



490 PASSAGE SECURED — SADXESS, 

of these I secured cabin passage to 'Frisco, the price being 
two hundred and ten dollars— the Zealandria, Captain 
Webber. I cannot this moment recall the name of the 
first officer. The second was William C. Tyler; purser, 
McDonald. It is a pleasure to record the kindness, civility 
and gentlemanly bearing of the commander and officers 
of the noble steam-ship Zealandria, and a more pleasant 
and agreeable multitude of passengers never paced the 
deck or graced the salons of an ocean steamer than those 
•of the Zealandria. 

On the sixteenth of June, 1883, the steamer sailed. Had 
I remained about a month longer I should have completed 
just thirty-one years' residence in the colonies. Those 
who have read Byron's "Lisbon Packet" will need no de- 
scription of the getting ready of a ship and the embarking. 
That tells the true story of the outset of every voyage. It 
is a poetic photograph. 

I think I never felt so downcast, gloomy and sad in all 
my life as upon that afternoon when we sailed out of 
Port Jackson bay. I was leaving all my acquaintances of 
the last thirty years. To be sure I was returning to my 
native land, but I had been so long gone from it I felt I 
ViTas going among strangers, where none would know or 
remember me, even in the place where I Mras born ; where 
in my youth I had many friends, but all now, perhaps, in 
the silent land or scattered abroad on the earth. Then, 
too, for an uncertainty of recognition in the vicinity of my 
r>ld home, or of meeting either kith or kin, or girl or boy, 
with whom I conned the primary lessons in the humble 
little school-house, I was leaving the many and all the 



MEETS RICHMOND AT AUCKLAND. 491 

friends of my mature life, acquired by long residence in my 
adopted countrj'. Only one pleasing reflection came to 
cheer my gloomy spirit, and that was that I was not leav- 
ing a single enemy. 

There were some one hundred and sixty cabin passen- 
gers, most of them on their way to England, many upon 
a return visit to their native home and childhood scenes ; 
others bom in the colonies, now upon a visit to the land 
of their fathers ; some to finish their education, others for 
pleasure. 

There was a gentleman and his wife among the passen- 
gers, Dr. Tucker, who was commissioned by the govern- 
ment to examine and report upon the insane institutions 
of Europe and America. He was expecting to be absent 
some three years. We called at Auckland, New Zealand, 
for the mails. I thought I would go ashore and sleep for 
the night, little thinking of meeting anyone I had ever 
met before. I went to a first-class hotel for my lodging. 
The landlord turned the register around, and as soon as he 
saw the name, he said, "I don't know you, but I heard 
one of the same nametalked about much only last night." 
I asked who the party was. He said, "Will Carter and 
Harry Richmond." "Where are they?" I asked. "I can 
take you to Harry in two minutes," said he. I need 
hardly say that I availed myself of his suggestion. Before 
starting the landlord gave me back my money, saying that 
if I got with Harry I would not return there that night. 
Richmond was the one who started me when I first 
entered Gabriel's gully, some eighteen years before. I 
found him, and think I can justly say that he was 



492 THE "ZEALANDRIA" YS. the "don JUAN." 

equally rejoiced to see me as I was to see him. We did not 
retire that night, as the ship sailed early the next day, and 
we had eighteen years of notes to overhaul and compare, 
wliich took us all night. Carter had gone up the country 
that morning and I did not see him. He went with me to 
New Zealand on the first trip and had remained there. He 
was a Canadian from near Montreal, and one of the best 
natured and jolliest fellows that ever lived. He was a stal- 
wart fellow, six feet and one inch, built in proportion, 
always laughing, and had a heart just a little bigger than 
a bullock's. 

We had quite an accession of passengers from Auckland. 
Among all, however, there was only myself and one other 
American on the steamer who had been out in the colonies 
for any considerable length of time. From Auckland to 
Honolulu we were about eleven days. Here we called for 
twenty-four hours, and in that time took aboard over 
eight hundred tons of sugar and other products of the 
Sandwich islands for the 'Frisco market. The trip from 
there to San Francisco occupied eleven days more, making 
in all twenty-three days sailing, and two days in port, and 
I think I can truly say I never spent the same length of 
time more pleasantly. I did not fail to appreciate the con- 
trast between the magnificent Zealandria, its officers and 
passengers, and the leaky and unseaworthy old tub, Don 
Juan, its motley conglomeration of disagreeable passen- 
gers and Van Diemen convicts, and the misery and suffer- 
ing endured in the outward voyage of thirty years before. 

Honolulu is quite a stirring business city. The people 
are about equally divided, Americans and all other nation- 



HONOLULU— AM USEMEMTS. 493 

alitles mixed. If there is any preponderance, it is on the 
side of the Americans. Theie is always a multitude of 
■canaca, or native women, gathered upon the wharf when 
a ship comes in, peddling their wares and trinkets, princi- 
pally consisting of little beads strung and worked into 
baskets, neckties and tassels — of no use — mere novelties. 
They usually drive a pretty profitable trade among the 
passengers of the great steamers that arrive in por . One 
would think that a journey at sea, extending nearly 
around the globe, would become monotonous and tiresome, 
but it was not so with me and did not seem to be so with 
the others, for we had the best of officers and every luxury 
one could expect at sea, and, moreover, as agreeable a class 
of passengers as one could desire. There was never a day 
but some entertainment was devised and put in progress 
to lessen the monotony of the journey; besides, the new 
accession of passengers at the ports is looked forward to 
with animated interest, which helps to shorten time and 
distance. 

There was scarcely an evening but some entertainment 
was in progress in the cabin — Shakesperian readings one 
night, dancing the next, and theatricals the third, lectures 
the fourth, and so on— something continually. There was 
a Mr. Ballard and his daughter. The young lady was 
very seasick. The father was a kind but thought- 
less man, and often left the poor girl to care for herself. 
I pitied her and sometimes would sit down by her under 
the awning and read to her, and at other times tell her 
Indian stories, not thinking anyone else aboard the ship 
was listening to them. One evening there had been an 



494; CABIN REHEARSAL. 

attempt at readings which for some cause had proved a 
failure, when to my surprise I was called upon to give 
the company an account of some of my adventures 
among the Indians. I was taken wholly by surprise, for 
I did not know there was anyone but little Miss 
Ballard that knew I had ever seen an Indian. I begged 
to be excused, but it was of no use, I had to hold forth. 
I had, however, the usual sore throat and bad cold of an 
operatic prima-donna when she discovers that the receipts 
at the ticket office are not up to her expectations, but 
promised if they w^ould let me off that evening I would 
appear before the curtain some other night when free of 
ray unhappy malady. The next day I noticed an unusual 
amount of enquiry among the lady passengers regarding 
my health, but never mistrusted the reason of their 
anxiety until evening, when I was waited upon by a. 
deputation of ladies sent to escort me to the cabin to 
fulfill my promised engagement. Remonstrances were 
unavailing, so I submitted as meekly as a lamb led to the 
slaughter, and they rung up the curtain. The first evening 
I gave them an hour's rehearsal of events from my leaving 
Ohio, taking my audience with me in imagination across 
the mountains, deserts and plains, and landing them in 
California. The next evening I took them through the 
mining camps, over the bars, through the streams, into- 
the gulches, over the divides, rocked the cradle and 
"panned out" for their entertainment as well as I could, 
took them across the Pacific ocean and landed them safely 
in Sydney. The third evening I gave them the Ballarat 
war, the exploring expedition, the gold fields, and some- 




495 



496 "sweeps"— FOrKTH OF JULY. 

thing of many other events and personal experiences in 
Australia. They complimented me by declaring that I 
was the legitimate successor of Marco Polo and Sir John 
Mandeville, and congratulated me on my happy return 
to my native land and the scenes of my childhood after 
the lapse of a full and complete generation of time. It 
had been a pleasant and excitable daily diversion to get 
up what was called a "sweep," an estimate or guess on 
the distance the ship would make. This occupied the fore 
part of the day, when the captain would adjust his as- 
tronomical instruments for an observation and then make 
his mathematical calculations, and the officer would post 
up the results for the inspection of the passengers. In 
this little game of guessing my usual good luck followed 
me, for I don't think there was a passenger that won more 
pools than I did. The fourth of July came around, and 
although an EngHsh ship, sailing under the colors of her 
majesty's government, the captain set up the champagne, 
and the Queen and the President, England and the United 
States were toasted, and many loyal, patriotic, compli- 
mentary and friendly speeches were made and bumpers 
were drank to the captain and officers of the Zealandria. 
There was one missionary among the passengers, a Mr. 
Taylor from Chardon, Geauga county, Ohio, who had been 
out some three years to the Nelson islands, had buried his 
wife there, and was now taking his three little children 
home, the oldest about five years, and the j^oungest only 
about nine months, and he performed the office of mother 
to the little ones most affectionately and wonderfully 
well. 



SAN FRANCISCO AGAIN— REFLECTIONS. 497 

At last, on the eleventh day of July, we entered the 
Golden Gate Heads, between which I had sailed out into 
the broad Pacific thirty-one years before. O how little 
did I think there would or could be so many and such 
wonderful changes in San Francisco! They were bej-ond 
contemplation or the imagination to picture. I took 
rooms at the Palace hotel, built upon the very ground 
where I once knew only a mountain of sand. It was 
almost impossible to recognize any of the old places, only 
a small portion of Montgomery street. I looked for a 
long time before I could make out Pacific and Long 
wharves, but at last found them. Upon the arrival of 
the Zealandria, the purser told the reporters of the 
return of an old "forty-niner" after an absence of over 
thirty years, and it w^as not long before my table was 
covered with reporters' notes asking when they could 
have an interview. But I was not made that way; I 
had started for home, was bound to hasten there, had 
nothing to report and did not wish to be interviewed. 

And now while wandering amazed and bewildered in 
the streets of the magnificent city, finding but a few recog- 
nizable familiar points, my mind reverted to the times and 
scenes of a former generation, and pondered upon some 
well-remembered names who helped to laj'^the foundations 
of that goodly city and the Golden state of the Pacific 
coast. The vigilance committee, where were they? All or 
nearly all had passed away. Where were the statesmen 
who had been instrumental in raising the golden territory 
into the most poetical and fascinating state over which 
floats the emblem of our nationality? Fremont, its 



498 MEMORIES OF THE DEAD. 

pioneer, path-finder and first senator, still lives, and nis 
last breath is destined to float on the genial and balmy- 
air of the state which he, ot" all other men, did most to 
make known to his country and to the world. His able 
but less loved and remembered colleague. Senator Gv.-in, 
long since ended his ambitious career in the grave. Broad- 
erick had fallen in a duel. Landor had died upon the field 
of battle in the civil war. McDougal, the admired, the 
honored and the deplored, had found a grave in his native 
state of New York. The brilliant lawyer and popular 
gentleman, Elisha H. Allen, had emigrated to the Sand- 
wich islands, had become chancelor and prime minister of 
the kingdom, returned as ambassador to the United States, 
and died at Washington. The famous Colonel Jack Hayes 
of the Texas Rangers was here elected sheriff in 1850, the 
first under the state constitution, Colonel Bryant, owner 
of the Bryant House on Ward street, being the opposing 
candidate. Andrew Subblette, a former sheriff, brother of 
the famous trapper, William Subblette, whose name is 
given to the "Cut-off" mentioned by all travelers across 
the plains, and linked with those of Bridger, Walker and 
others equally famous in the annals of early California 
immigration, long since passed away with all his contem- 
porary pioneers. Thomas Butler King was early on the 
ground with bright political hopes and prospects which he 
never lived to realize. Thomas Star King, the beloved and 
accomplished Unitarian clergyman, ministered there, and 
there I think he entered upon his final rest. Last but not 
least, there flitted across my mind the memory of one far 
more interesting and beloved than the memory of states- 



MRS. OSGOOD. 499 

men and politicians — Frances B. Osgood, whose sweet 
poems in early years graced the pages of school books. 
Her husband was, I think, a clergyman — herself an invalid, 
and she came there to die. When her attendant for the last 
time smoothed her beautiful locks and placed a new white 
cap upon her head, her husband was called to her bedside. 
Her hands were delicately white and her face had an un- 
earthly paleness, but her eyes were spiritually bright. She 
drew her husband's face close to hers and faintly whispered 
her last sweet poem in his ear — "I've something sweet to 
tell you" — the burden of which was expressed in the last 
line of each of the four stanzas — "I love you" — then sank 
upon her pillow and died. 

So pleasant had been the voyage of the Zealandria and 
so agreeable and social its passengers, I had never felt any 
impatient anxiety about getting home since leaving Syd- 
ney', until we entered the beautiful bay of San Francisco. 
Then it stemed to me I could not wait to get my luggage 
through the custom-house. Before leaving I had some 
twenty-four hours spare time, which I spent in taking a 
view of the city, having in the meantime purchased my 
ticket by rail through to Cleveland, Ohio. I was impressed 
with the wonderful change and the improvements the 
golden city had made since I was there thirty years before. 
Then we crossed the bay to what is now the city of Oak- 
land, in something like a w ,le-boat, but now the ferry- 
boat is like unto a floating city. At Oakland I boarded 
the Union -Pacific train. Again, I was taken all aback 
with wonder and surprise at Benecia bay, to vSee the whole 
train of twenty cars and two locomotives deliber- 



500 SINK OF THE HUMBOLT— OGDEN. 

ately run onto a ferry-boat and push for the opposite 
shore, at the rate, at least, of ten miles an hour. I now- 
turned into my berth in the sleeping-car, but was up early 
the next morning, taking in the mountain scenery. We 
breakfasted at Truckee. My interest in scenery, however 
grand, was not very lively, as I had long been surfeited 
with nature's grandeurs, both here and elsewhere, and I 
little expected that the road had been laid over any part 
of theroute over which I had toiled and suffered long years 
before. I was sitting and gazing out of the car window, 
when suddenly there was presented before me a scene per- 
fectly familiar. I jumped to my feet and w^ent to the con- 
ductor and asked him if that was the Humbolt sink. He 
said it was. I knew it at once. There lay before me, in 
full view, the hills and the track we had taken that night 
when our party had taken the wrong road, which proved 
so fatal to many poor fellows. The whole scene rushed 
back upon my memory as plainly as if it had happened 
only the week before, and many were the sorrowful reflec- 
tions of that day. I stood upon the platform from that 
time out, the greater part of the time, now passing one 
place, then another, perfectly familiar ground. It may be 
thought incredible, but they were all fresh in my memory. 
At Ogden, thirty-eight miles from Salt Lake City, we 
breakfasted and changed cars. The train stopping twO' 
hours gave me an opportunity to look around. Here was 
where we met our first calamity, in the death, by accident^ 
of a comrade. I w^andered out to the place where we 
buried the poor boy. I did not go down to Salt Lake, as I 
was so anxious to get home. I was now counting the 



ARRIVAL AT CLEVELAND. ^^^ 



hours. How Strange it is that one can remain away for 
years with thoughtlessness, if not indifference, but when 
he finds himself on the road home, the nearer he approaches 
it the less can he content himself from hour to hour and 
from moment to moment. It was so with me. I spent 
nearly all the time on the platform, for now we were trav- 
eling over the same part of the country I had passed over 
on my journey out. I left San Francisco at five o'clock, 
P.M., and arrived in Cleveland the following Tuesday 
morning, having accomplished the journey in less thanfive 
days. When, thirty-four years before, I crossed, it took over 
three months to accomplish only about one-half the dis- 
tance-that is, west of the Missouri river-the first being 
accomplished under indescribable hardships, privations 
and sufferings, and death to many, and the last attended 
by ease, comfort, luxuries, palacecars and Pullman sleepers. 
Upon arriving at San Francisco I sent a dispatch to 
Cleveland, without signature, dated at the Palace hotel, 
merely saying that C. D. Ferguson had arrived by the 
Zealandria. I sent another from Chicago, saying I would 
be in Cleveland that night. This was all the notice my 
friends had of my coming; however, as short as it was, I 
was met at the depot. Thus having left Cleveland on the 
second of September, 1849, I had returned to the place 
whence I started, on the seventeenth of July, 1883. 
I had left an impetuous, inconsiderate, beardless boy of 
seventeen years and returned a gray-bearded and bald- 
headed man of fifty, to find that my fether and mother 
had long since passed over to the other shore, whence 
no traveler returns ; that two brothers and four sisters 



502 MEETING WITH SHERB. 

had joined them; that of a once large family of children, 
only three brothers and a sister remain. 

I stopped in Cleveland but a few days and then hastened 
to Farmington, the old home of my boyhood, and was 
happily disappointed in finding quite a number of early 
friends. Here lives my great, good friend of California and 
Australia companionship, a faithful friend under all cir- 
cumstances and in all places, whose name has become 
familiar to the reader of these pages, S. H. Loveland. 
My brother drove me over to call on him. I discovered 
him in the field a little distance from his house. I told 
my brother to remain in the carriage until I ascertained if 
Sherb would know me. He was at work about a hundred 
yards from where I got over the fence into the field. As I 
advanced he watched me until I had approached to within 
about thirty yards, when he dropped his pitchfork and 
exclaimed, "I'll go to grass if that isn't Charlie Ferguson!" 
After our first mutual greetings I asked him how he knew 
me. He told me that from my movement and the way I 
jumped off the fence, he said to himself if I was living he 
would swear it was I. All had supposed me dead for the 
last twenty years. Then I went to see my old friend and 
playmate, M. W. Griffith, whom we had left in San Fran- 
.cisco when we embarked for Australia on the Don Juan. I 
cannot express on paper the great and exciting interest 
and pleasure in these meetings of old companions. I can, 
however, safely say that our joys were mutual, and it 
would be hard to tell whose spirits rose to the higher pitch 
of exalted joy. It would require the invention of a more 
delicately sensitive thermometer to declare if there was a 



"one good old smoke." 503 

preponderance. I remained in Farmington some three 
weeks, visiting among old acquaintances, especially such 
as remained of the old people that had been neighbors and 
acquaintances of my father and mother. It seemed a 
pleasure to those good old people, and surely it was 
gratifying to me — to them that the boy had not forgotten 
them ; to me that they remembered the boy. One dear old 
lady, who used to be a great friend of my mother, sent for 
me. I went and conversed with her for a pretty good 
length of time. As I left I had to go some three hundred 
yards to where I hitched my horse. Just as I was getting 
into the buggy, a little boy came running down to me and 
said, "If you please, grandma would like to speak to you." 
So I went back to the old lady. She wanted to know if I 
ever smoked. I told her I did. She said she forgot to 
inquire. "Now," said she, "I want you to fill your pipe 
and sit down in front of me and have one good old smoke 
for your mother." Poor, dear, old friend of mj' mother! 
She sat and smoked, talked and laughed and cried, nearly 
at the same time, and when I finally bade her good-by she 
said it was the happiest afternoon she had spent for years. 
I now turned back to Illinois. Some of my youthful 
companions had grown to manhood during my absence 
and had moved west. They, knowing I had returned, 
invited me to visit them at Joliet and Gardner. While 
there I learned that John See was still alive and living not 
far from Somonauk. I took the train one day and went to 
see poor old John. I got a livery to take me across to the 
town where he lives, the name of which I have forgotten. 
It was upon a Sunday. I had no difficulty in finding his 



504 JOHN SEE. 

place in the little village. Upon a porch in front of a little 
cottage, sat a feeble, gray-headed, old man, and an old 
lady, his wife. I approached in a familiar way and said, 
"Good-day, John— good-day, Mrs. See." They shook 
hands with me as freely as if I had been one of their near- 
est neighbors. John looked at me some time with his sharp, 
black eyes, and at last said, " I think you have the advan- 
tage of me; I can't call you to mind." "What!" said I, 
"have you forgotten your old friends ? You ought not to 
have forgotten me, John, I crossed the plains with you." 
"0 no," said he, "you are mistaken about that; they are 
all dead that crossed the plains with me." "No, John," 
said I, "they are not all dead; you are mistaken." "0 
no, I am not." I asked what had become of Martin 
Costler. "0 Martin came back poor a few years ago, and 
went to Indiana and died there, and that leaves me the 
only one left." "I think you are mistaken, John," said I, 
"there is one other. Where is Charlie Ferguson?" "He 
went from California to Australia and died there. Many 
times I have talked with the doctor (my brother) about 
that boy. I used to tell the doctor although he was only a 
boy of seventeen, he was like a man of twenty-seven." 
Said I, "John, you are mistaken ; Charlie is not dead ; I am 
Charlie." It took a long time to convince him that he 
was not really dreaming. 

At last, when he got his mind to bear upon the matter, 
he laughed and then cried, and finally sent the old lady to 
call in the neighbors and tell them that the seventeen year 
old boy that crossed the plains with him was not dead, 
but was there — come to see him once more. The poor old 



REPUTATION AS A SHARP SHOOTER. 505 

man was seventy-two years old, had had a stroke of 
paralysis, and could only totter around upon a staff. I 
don't think I ever saw a man more rejoiced. He got all 
his neighbors in and wanted me to relate all the particulars 
of our journey, as he had forgotten some of them, he said. 
Pretty soon he gathered himself up and tottered oif into 
another room, but presently appeared bringing an old gun. 
"Charlie," said he, "I want you to tell the people how far 
you killed a buffalo with that gun." "I don't know, John,"* 
said I, " it was a long shot . It must have been three hundred 
yards." "Three hundred yards be damned!" said John, 
"it was half a mile if it was an inch." The poor old man 
was evidently displeased, and he toddled back with the 
old gun. I afterwards learned that he had told the story 
of my killing the buffalo with that gun half a mile off, and 
none of his neighbors dared dispute it, as they would incur 
his displeasure by so doing, and he had told the story so 
often that he sincerely believed it. If anyone ventured to 
say half a mile was a pretty long shot, he made John not 
only his enemy, but became obliged to listen to my pedigree 
and the pedigree of the gun, and he would make assurance 
doubly sure by his old stereotyped expression — "Although 
he was only a boy of seventeen he was a man of twenty- 
seven." 

I was urged to remain with John, and did so for two 
days. As I was about to depart I noticed he was rather 
uneasy, and when I came to bid him good-by, he said he 
was going with me for a short distance. I helped him 
into the buggy and he rode just outside the town and 
then asked me to stop; said he could not walk back a 



506 MISTAKEN IDExNTITY. 

greater distance, but he must come out thus far to bid me 
good-bv, he could not do it before all those people. Poor 
old man! he wept like a child. Fouryears have since elapsed 
and I do not know if he has survived until now. I went 
to see my sister-in-law, the doctor's wife. She was in 
Chicago. She did not recognize me. I gave her every 
chance to do so ; I asked her if she remembered kissing a 
boy thirty-four years before, and begging him not to go 
to California, but to go home to his mother. Her sister 
was with her at this time. She sprang up and said, "I 
do, Charlie, and I will kiss you now." I went to my old- 
est brother's in Wisconsin. His wife, who was at that 
moment alone, would not know me. I told her my name, 
but she kept on sweeping. I began to think I was getting 
a rather cool reception, when, by some remark, I saw she 
did not know me. I told her she did not. It was after- 
wards disclosed that some years before there was a man 
bearing my name who had stolen a horse in that neighbor- 
hood and fled the country. She had supposed me so long 
dead that when I told her m}^ name she thought I must 
be the horse thief, and that accounted for my cool 
reception. 

And now with few exceptions of near kindred, and rare 
exceptions of early acquaintances, I find myself substan- 
tially alone in my native country. I know certainly of 
but two now living who crossed the plains with me away 
back in '49. Those who delved with me in the 
mines of California have probably all, or nearly all, laid 
aside the pick and pan of mortal life and "gone over the 
divide" between time and eternity. In early times in the 



"across the range." 507 

Sierra Nevada mountains, it used to be said of a dead 
miner that he had gone "Over the Range." 

Half sleeping by the fire I sit ; 

I start and wake, it is so strange 
To find mj'self alone, and Tom 

Across the Range. 

We brought him in with heavy feet. 
And eased him down ; from eye to eye. 

Though no one spoke, there passed a fear 
That Tom must die. 

He rallied when the sun was low, 
And spoke — I thought the words were strange — 

" It's almost night, and I must go 
Across the Range." 

"What, Tom?" He smiled and nodded. "Yes, 
They've struck it rich there, Jim, you know 

The parson told iis ; you'll come soon — 
Now Tom must go." 

I brought his sweetheart's pictured face ; 

Again that smile so sad and strange, 
" Tell her," he said, " that Tom has gone 

Across the Range." 

The last light lingered on the hill ; 

" There's a pass somewhere," then he said> 
And lip, and eye, and hands were still, 
And Tom was dead. 

Half sleeping by the fire I sit ; 

I start and wake, it is so strange 
To find myself alone, and Tom 

Across the Range. 



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